About
The Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics believes that the medical humanities and bioethics are integral components of the field of medicine. The Department offers courses that encourage reflection on core human values in medicine that are essential elements needed to prepare medical students and other healthcare providers to provide humane, empathic and ethical care. This involves addressing of the individual, the family and the community with interventions that are sensitive to cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and ethnic diversity.
Mission
The Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics addresses the health needs of Missouri by training future health providers and engaging in research and scholarly activity in medical humanities and value-oriented bioethics.
History
The Sirridge Office of Medical Humanities was established at the School of Medicine in 1992 with the goal of expanding opportunities to provide humanities courses for both premedical students and students in UMKC’s six-year B.A./M.D. program.It was initially funded and coordinated by Doctors Marjorie and William Sirridge, who were founding physician-docents when the School of Medicine opened in 1971. The school received a grant in 1995 from the Culpeper Foundation to plan and develop an undergraduate medical humanities curriculum for students in both the medical school program and in undergraduate programs at UMKC. The UMKC School of Medicine is a member of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation whose mission advances humanism in medicine.
In 2008, the office was renamed The Sirridge Office of Medical Humanities and Bioethics to reflect its mission of infusing medical humanities and bioethics throughout the six-year curriculum. The first Sirridge Missouri Endowed Professor in Medical Humanities and Bioethics was also appointed.
“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.”
— Hippocrates, physician and philosopher
Sirridge Endowed Professors
- Current: Brian Carter M.D.
- Past: Lynda Payne, Ph.D., R.N.