MDHM 430 HEALTH, HUMANISM AND SOCIETY SCHOLARS MEDICAL HUMANITIES PRACTICUM (ONE SEMESTER)
Apply by submitting the requested materials (varies by project) by Friday, November 07 at 11:59 pm. If applying to more than one project (recommended, as this will increase your likelihood of being able to enroll), include a ranking of your preferences.
In this highly individualized course, students will spend one semester working with a mentor in an organization related to health and conduct their own research project. The organizations with which the mentors are affiliated will vary by semester and are listed below. Students learn about these organizations through assisting a mentor and conduct research into a medical humanities topic that will be presented to the public as a paper, presentation, website, exhibit, or other project.
Students might work alone with the partner organization or in a small group. Some students will spend several hours per week on site with their mentor, and others will work remotely. Note that the time spent with the mentor varies greatly by project. In general, however, the practicum should take approximately 8-10 hours/week including class meetings and completing class assignments.
Activities will vary according to the student’s work and interests but might involve conducting research and writing for publications, creating content for social media, conducting interviews, organizing and attending events and meetings, preparing strategies for public health awareness, etc.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Melissa Bailar.
How to enroll in the practicum
Review the practicum options below and submit the required application materials by the deadline via the application portal. It is strongly recommended that students apply to at least 3 projects, as many accept only 1 or 2 students and others have time constraints or other requirements. Some partners require an interview before accepting students.
Once you have been matched with a project, Dr. Bailar will be in touch to submit the registration override so that you may register for MDHM 430.
Prerequisites: MDHM 201 and at least nine credit hours in a humanities discipline.
Students can use a single form to apply for multiple projects, including both one-semester practicum projects and year-long HHASS projects.
MDHM 430 Practicum Options, Spring 2026
- Independent Practicum
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Students may propose a practicum if they have made arrangements to work with an organization, hospital, or individual and will conduct research that relates to medical humanities (in terms of both methods and questions). The proposed practicum must include work with individuals outside of Rice for at least some of the time and have an experiential learning component. Students should expect to spend 8 hours a week on the work and reflective aspects of the practicum (the equivalent of 3 credit hours in an upper-level course), in addition to regular class meetings and meetings with the instructor.
In lieu of a cover letter, please submit a description of the experiential learning aspect the student will gain. This can take many forms, from working alongside archivists or policy writers, to providing patient care, to contributing to an established research project at a hospital (to mention a few examples). Indicate if the student will be joining a structured research endeavor undertaken by the partnering organization (i.e. an existing grant-funded project), if the student will be working on independent research of their own design, or something in-between. (approx. 250-300 words)
- American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
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Students in this practicum will spend about 4-5 hours per week shadowing practitioners and students at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (https://acaomhealthcare.com/). You will observe patients being treated and be paired with a mentor who can explain the treatments and answer questions you have about holistic medicine. Students must formulate their own research question to pursue, under the guidance of Dr. Bailar, and will read relevant literature and possibly interview experts to complete a project. Students will be required to complete some HIPAA online training (approximately 6 hours) before the semester begins.
- Radiation Effects and Events
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Selected students will work with Dr. Armin Weinberg (https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/armin-weinberg), faculty at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan, librarians at the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives, and other individuals who have studied the health, social, political, and personal effects of radiation exposure from nuclear bombs (including their extensive testing in Kazakhstan), nuclear accidents, and nuclear waste. Depending on the status with Russia and Ukraine, students may talk with researchers there as well to learn about different approaches to medical treatment and obstacles to effective care. Students will assist with research into international medical partnerships; conduct interviews for the archive on radiation effects and events; work with authors on editing essays for journal publications; and/or other research-related tasks. Students will have the opportunity to talk and work with a range of experts from the U.S., Kazakhstan, Japan, and elsewhere. Students must have prior research experience in any discipline, strong organizational and time-management skills, and professional communication proficiency. This practicum may be taken for one or two semesters.
- The Handbook of Texas Medicine
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Students in this practicum will research, write, and publish at least one entry for an online encyclopedia, The Handbook of Texas Medicine. Students may select a topic that has been identified as a priority for the handbook or may suggest a new one. Topics include the histories of hospitals and clinics (including those with non-Western approaches), health organizations, medical journals, remedies, and individual healthcare professionals. Of particular interest are histories of organizations providing healthcare to vulnerable populations. Students work closely with Dr. Bailar and the Handbook of Texas’ Managing Editor. Students may also meet with the head of the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives to learn archival research skills and explore relevant collections. Students will meet as needed with other community members who can contribute insights to their topics. Students must have strong writing and time management skills. This is designed as a one-semester practicum, but students may take it a second semester to complete another entry.
- History of Medicine and Faith in the Texas Medical Center - ISH
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The Institute for Spirituality and Health is a founding member institution of the Texas Medical Center. The people who developed this, the largest medical center in the world, ensured that faith and spirituality were represented and promoted here from the very beginning.
Students who choose this topic will have the opportunity to design their own historical research project based primarily on the Institute’s modest historical archive, much of which was recently digitized. Drawing upon newsletters, meeting minutes, and other resources, students can pose and pursue original historical questions about the relationship between medicine and religion in this extraordinary place and enhance our understanding of the contexts, concerns, innovations, pressures, and resources that have shaped this institution over the past seventy years. Students will develop archival research skills, including digitization, identifying and investigating historical questions, analyzing texts and graphic documents. Research progress and results may be presented in a slide presentation, poster, or scholarly written format allowing for further skills-building in digital media, graphic design, and academic writing. At the end of the semester, students will report on the progress and results of their research to a diverse audience of stakeholders at the Institute during our end-of-semester luncheon.
- "Speaking with One Voice” An organization’s contribution to eliminating health disparities
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By addressing health disparities through collaboration across various sectors, including community advocates, researchers, and policymakers, the Intercultural Cancer Council played a crucial role in shaping positive change. Students would capture oral histories from those who were involved and assist in expanding archived material at the Texas Medical Center Library. The project would deepen their understanding of the intersection between healthcare policy, social justice, and community advocacy.
Students would review the historical context of the Council and the roles of individuals within it, prepare informed interview questions, and create a structured interview guide that gives an overview of the role each individual played, their experiences with specific initiatives, challenges faced, and key moments they remember. Students will also ready the oral histories for inclusion in digital archives.
- Diabetes Education in Faith Communities - ISH
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Are you passionate about health equity and/or community-based participatory research? The Center for Faith and Public Health (CFPH) at the Institute for Spirituality and Health (ISH) partners with and empowers faith communities to improve health outcomes among their congregations and promote a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Practicum students who select this topic will engage in meaningful qualitative research with faith community members and program facilitators participating in our diabetes education programs. The objective is to evaluate the impact of our community-based diabetes education program and understand individuals’ experiences of disease, health, and faith. Students will develop qualitative research skills, including administering surveys, designing and conducting focus groups, and designing and conducting interviews. We offer students hands-on experience in public health program evaluation and community engagement, to integrate into our ongoing research and health education programs and contribute to real-world public health deliverables. At the end of the semester, students will report on the progress and results of their research at a luncheon at the Institute for Spirituality and Health.
Research Process:
Diabetes management classes run concurrently on an approximate six-week rotation. The proposed workflow below is to guide students in fitting into that rotation throughout the semester. It is not intended as a strict schedule. Students may also need to be flexible if diabetes education program schedules should change.
MDHM 430 Practicum Options, Fall 2025
- Development and Evaluation of Digital Health Tools for Patient Priorities Care (CLOSED)
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Project Sponsor(s): Aanand Naik, MD, Professor of Medicine and Public Health, UTHealth Houston
Project Title: Development and Evaluation of Digital Health Tools for Patient Priorities Care
Institution and Location: UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging
Project Description: Patient Priorities Care (PPC) is a novel approach to caring for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Heralded in 2018 as a “revolutionary change in health care delivery” by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2018), Patient Priorities Care has become a standard of age-friendly care over the last severalyears in geriatric care settings. Our current research spans multiple projects that are developing and evaluating digital health tools to help patients identify, understand, and communicate their health priorities to healthcare providers. We are seeking two undergraduate researchers through Rice University's Health, Humanism and Society Scholars (HHASS) Program to assist with studies where we aim to improve the usability and cultural relevance of 3 digital health tools we have developed.
Expected Tasks:
- Recruit participants for clinical research studies
- Communicate with primary care stakeholders and research participants
- Coordinate research encounters and data collection interviews
- Perform qualitative coding and analysis of research transcripts
- Participate in weekly team meetings with project investigators
- Conduct literature reviews and manuscript preparation
- Contribute to the development and refinement of digital health tools
Project timeframe (1 or 2 semesters ): 1 semester.
A list of specific skills or training the student(s) should have before beginning the project. Students with the following interests/experience might consider this project:
- Computer science (especially those interested in human-computer interaction,
- AI applications in healthcare, or user experience design)
- Cyberpsychology (focusing on how digital technologies impact human behavior and decision-making)
- Psychology or social science majors (sociology)
- Communication (health communication)
- Philosophy (applied)
- American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
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Students in this practicum will spend about 4-5 hours per week shadowing practitioners and students at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (https://acaomhealthcare.com/). You will observe patients being treated and be paired with a mentor who can explain the treatments and answer questions you have about holistic medicine. Students must formulate their own research question to pursue, under the guidance of Dr. Bailar, and will read relevant literature and possibly interview experts to complete a project. Students will be required to complete some HIPAA online training (approximately 6 hours) before the semester begins.
- Día de la Mujer Latina
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Día de la Mujer Latina
Students in this practicum will conduct research into healthcare disparities in Houston’s Latina population and work with the organization’s director and other staff members to develop strategies to improve access to healthcare, disseminate information about screenings and vaccinations, dispel misinformation, and inform healthcare professionals about the specific needs and concerns of this population. Much of the work will be focused on Community Healthcare Workers (front line public health worker who has in-depth understanding of the community being served), and there may be options for students to receive state certification as a CHW. Please note that this option requires set hours on-site determined by the director and a high level of Spanish communication skills. - Radiation Effects and Events
-
Selected students will work with Dr. Armin Weinberg (https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/armin-weinberg), faculty at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan, librarians at the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives, and other individuals who have studied the health, social, political, and personal effects of radiation exposure from nuclear bombs (including their extensive testing in Kazakhstan), nuclear accidents, and nuclear waste. Depending on the status with Russia and Ukraine, students may talk with researchers there as well to learn about different approaches to medical treatment and obstacles to effective care. Students will assist with research into international medical partnerships; conduct interviews for the archive on radiation effects and events; work with authors on editing essays for journal publications; and/or other research-related tasks. Students will have the opportunity to talk and work with a range of experts from the U.S., Kazakhstan, Japan, and elsewhere. Students must have prior research experience in any discipline, strong organizational and time-management skills, and professional communication proficiency. This practicum may be taken for one or two semesters.
- The Handbook of Texas Medicine
-
Students in this practicum will research, write, and publish at least one entry for an online encyclopedia, The Handbook of Texas Medicine. Students may select a topic that has been identified as a priority for the handbook or may suggest a new one. Topics include the histories of hospitals and clinics (including those with non-Western approaches), health organizations, medical journals, remedies, and individual healthcare professionals. Of particular interest are histories of organizations providing healthcare to vulnerable populations. Students work closely with Dr. Bailar and the Handbook of Texas’ Managing Editor. Students may also meet with the head of the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives to learn archival research skills and explore relevant collections. Students will meet as needed with other community members who can contribute insights to their topics. Students must have strong writing and time management skills. This is designed as a one-semester practicum, but students may take it a second semester to complete another entry.
- Institute for Spirituality and Health
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This research practicum focuses on how religion and spirituality connect to medical education. Students will survey published literature on religion and spirituality in medical education, refine and collect survey data, and interview educators and administrators in US medical schools. Your work will help identify what spirituality and health learning content US medical schools are currently teaching and what relevant topics might be missing in medical education.
Staff from the Institute for Spirituality and Health will meet with you regularly online to guide and assist you in your research process. At the end of the semester, you will be invited to a luncheon at the Institute, where you will share your discoveries and recommendations with the Institute's leaders and faculty.
Your findings will support the Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, which is developing a flexible curriculum in spirituality and health that medical students will be able to access for training in cultural humility and competence, the impacts of faith on human health, skills for providing spiritual support to patients, maintaining self-care, and navigating medical ethics in today's changing healthcare environment.
- "Speaking with One Voice” An organization’s contribution to eliminating health disparities
-
By addressing health disparities through collaboration across various sectors, including community advocates, researchers, and policymakers, the Intercultural Cancer Council played a crucial role in shaping positive change. Students would capture oral histories from those who were involved and assist in expanding archived material at the Texas Medical Center Library. The project would deepen their understanding of the intersection between healthcare policy, social justice, and community advocacy.
Students would review the historical context of the Council and the roles of individuals within it, prepare informed interview questions, and create a structured interview guide that gives an overview of the role each individual played, their experiences with specific initiatives, challenges faced, and key moments they remember. Students will also ready the oral histories for inclusion in digital archives.