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    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities
    In-person Program

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities

    by USC Pre-College

    USC’s medical humanities course connects medicine with history, ethics, narrative writing and art through field trips and a collaborative health exhibition.

    Last verified: 5 Oct 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy

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    Health and Healing at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility

    Current status

    Upcoming

    Eligibility

    High school; ninth grade completed

    Age range / Year group

    Ages 15-18

    Location / Region

    USC University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California, United States

    Cost

    $8,130; $11,570; $12,208

    Duration

    4 weeks

    Format

    In-person

    Next session

    21 June-15 July 2027

    Save program
    MedicineHumanitiesHistoryEthicsCreative WritingArtificial Intelligence
    Accommodation: Shared USC residence-hall rooms
    Meals: Residential: three meals daily
    Campus resources: Libraries; computer labs; health center
    Residential options: Residential; eligible local commuters
    College credit: Three elective units
    Tutors / faculty: USC faculty; experienced professionals
    Class hours: 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; 5–6 instructional hours

    Health and Healing summary

    USC’s course explores medicine through culture, history, ethics and narrative writing, with particular attention to patients’ lived experiences.

    Students combine academic visits and guest lectures with a team project connecting art, medicine and AI.

    It suits students who enjoy interpreting human stories and want a broader understanding of health care.

    What is Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities?

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities is a USC Pre-College course about the human contexts of medicine. It traces Western healing practices from religion and magic through the Scientific Revolution to evidence-based medicine, asking how culture, ethics and technologies shape care.

    Students examine medical anthropology, narrative medicine and narrative nonfiction writing through campus learning, guest lectures and academic field trips. A collaborative project translates a real health issue across art, medicine and AI into an interactive exhibition and digital portfolio.

    Why Succeed highlights Health and Healing

    • The distinction between disease and lived illness gives students a concrete way to examine patient-centered care.

    • Visits to historical collections and health humanities institutions connect classroom ideas with professional practice.

    • The team exhibition and digital portfolio turn interdisciplinary learning into work students can discuss and share.

    • Three elective credit units provide a formal academic outcome upon successful completion.

    Who is Health and Healing for?

    Best for

    Students curious about medicine who also enjoy history, ethics, writing or art and want to connect these interests.

    Not ideal if

    You mainly want technical biomedical instruction, since the central focus is interpreting medicine through human experience and culture.

    Is Health and Healing worth it?

    This course can be valuable if you want to understand how patients, culture and ethical judgment influence medicine. Its academic visits and collaborative exhibition offer specific experiences to reflect on, while successful completion earns college credit.

    The financial commitment is substantial, and USC Summer Programs offers no financial aid or assistance. Choose it for the curriculum and campus experience rather than an expected admissions advantage; participation guarantees neither USC admission nor credit acceptance elsewhere.

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    A practical overview of cost, accommodation, meals, dates and provider details to review before deciding.

    Cost and what is included

    $8,130; $11,570; $12,208; includes Course tuition and instruction., Textbooks, course materials and academic field trips., On-campus social activities and off-campus recreational trips., Access to the University Park Student Health Center., Residential: shared residence-hall room and dining-hall meal plan., Residential: meals on academic trips and specified Saturday meals., International: mandatory USC health insurance in the published total..

    Accommodation

    Shared USC residence-hall rooms

    Meals

    Residential: three meals daily

    Supervision or safety information

    Residential advisors live in the halls and are available at all times. USC provides 24/7 public safety patrols, card-controlled hall access and emergency notifications.

    Provider details

    Review the USC Pre-College provider page and official sources before making a final decision.

    Dates and logistics

    4 weeks; USC University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California, United States.

    What to check before committing

    Confirm current dates, payment terms, travel arrangements, cancellation rules and what is included with the provider.

    Compare this program with similar options before deciding on dates, cost, format and fit.

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    How much preparation does Health and Healing need?

    Effort level

    High, with five to six instructional hours daily.

    Best started

    Begin gathering application materials when the next application information arrives in November, allowing several weeks for school documents and longer for visa planning.

    Main challenge

    Connecting historical and ethical interpretation with a clear, collaborative health project.

    Typical preparation

    • Draft the application essay in your own words and request the recommendation and transcript early.

    • Read a piece of narrative nonfiction about illness and note how it represents the patient’s experience.

    • Plan laptop access, the family budget and residential or commuter arrangements.

    • International applicants should prepare English proficiency documentation and immigration paperwork.

    Useful if

    You want to test an interdisciplinary interest in health care.

    What do students do on Health and Healing?

    You investigate health through historical, cultural and narrative perspectives while developing a collaborative project throughout the course. Academic visits and specialist guest lectures connect these perspectives to institutions and professional practice.

    Step-by-step process

    1. 1

      Explore medicine as a human system through history, art, sound and movement.

    2. 2

      Examine environmental, social and systems approaches through medical anthropology.

    3. 3

      Study narrative medicine and distinguish biological disease from lived illness.

    4. 4

      Investigate interdisciplinary teamwork, medical AI and future bioethics.

    5. 5

      Translate a real health issue into a public-facing exhibition and curated digital portfolio.

    Health and Healing dates and deadlines

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities — Domestic 2026 application deadline

    8 May 2026

    Past

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities — International 2026 application deadline

    13 March 2026

    Past

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities — Domestic 2026

    22 June-17 July 2026

    Historical application deadline; classes ran 22 June–17 July 2026.

    Past

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities — International 2026

    22 June-17 July 2026

    Historical application deadline; classes ran 22 June–17 July 2026.

    Past

    Health and Healing: Writing the Medical Humanities — 2027

    21 June-15 July 2027

    USC Summer Programs dates; application information is due in November.

    Upcoming

    Eligibility and requirements

    • Complete at least ninth grade before the program starts.

    • Pursue a rigorous high school curriculum.

    • Domestic and international high school students may apply.

    • Attend every required class meeting.

    • International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through tests or a waiver.

    • International participants and domestic participants living abroad must live on campus.

    • Commuters must live with parents or guardians in eligible local counties.

    • Bring your own laptop.

    How much does Health and Healing cost?

    Application fee

    $85 — Nonrefundable.

    Funding or discounts

    • Domestic commuter: $8,130 — Estimated 2026 program total.
    • Domestic residential: $11,570 — Estimated 2026 total with room and board.
    • International residential: $12,208 — Estimated 2026 USC total including required international services.
    • Seat deposit: $1,000 — Nonrefundable and credited toward the program total.
    • Financial aid: Not offered

    What's included

    Course tuition and instruction., Textbooks, course materials and academic field trips., On-campus social activities and off-campus recreational trips., Access to the University Park Student Health Center., Residential: shared residence-hall room and dining-hall meal plan., Residential: meals on academic trips and specified Saturday meals., International: mandatory USC health insurance in the published total.

    How to apply to Health and Healing

    1. 1

      Create an account or log in to the official USC Summer Programs portal.

    2. 2

      Select course preferences, listing the same course for all three choices if desired.

    3. 3

      Write your own 300–500 word application essay.

    4. 4

      Request an online recommendation from a teacher, counselor or mentor.

    5. 5

      Ask a school administrator to upload your PDF high school transcript.

    6. 6

      International applicants must provide accepted English proficiency documentation or a waiver.

    7. 7

      Pay the $85 application fee, complete all tasks and submit the application.

    8. 8

      Monitor your email and application portal for communications and document progress.

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    What does Health and Healing cover?

    The program covers the following focus areas.

    Medicine as a Human System

    Explore medicine through religion, ritual, performance, literature and the arts.

    Medical Anthropology

    Examine health through environmental, social and systems perspectives.

    Narrative Medicine

    Distinguish biological disease from lived illness and explore complementary approaches.

    Designing Human-Centered Health Futures

    Study interdisciplinary teamwork, AI, future technologies and bioethics.

    Curriculum may be adjusted based on participant interests and current developments.

    What is a typical day on Health and Healing?

    A typical day during the program.

    Classes and academic visits

    Five to six instructional hours daily, with lunch breaks or Los Angeles field trips.

    Residential activities

    Residential advisors and staff supervise social and recreational activities.

    Recreational excursions

    Participants may visit local attractions; residential attendance requirements apply.

    Who teaches on Health and Healing?

    USC Summer Programs courses are taught by USC faculty and experienced professionals from the university’s academic community. This course includes guest contributions from public health, health data science, bioethics, health humanities and medical AI professionals.

    Where do students stay on Health and Healing?

    Residential plan

    • Shared residence-hall rooms: Roommate and floormate assignments follow the gender identification submitted on applications.
    • Residential meals: Room and board covers three daily dining-hall meals, academic-trip meals and specified Saturday meals.
    • Live-in support and security: Residential advisors are available at all times, with 24/7 public safety patrols and card-controlled halls.
    • Evening campus activities: Staff-supervised activities include game nights, ice cream socials, lawn movies and field games.

    Non-residential plan

    • Local commuter option: Eligible participants live with a parent or guardian in Los Angeles or Orange County.
    • Commuter dining: Meals are purchased individually; commuter meal plans are not offered.
    • Commuter activities and trips: Commuters may join evening activities with parental permission and use program transportation for field trips.

    Roommate requests cannot be accommodated; residents have a 10 p.m. hall curfew and 11:30 p.m. lights out.

    What happens after Health and Healing?

    After completing this program, participants often pursue:

    Earn three units of elective credit upon successful completion.

    Create a curated digital portfolio for college, research or creative study.

    Contribute to a public-facing interactive health exhibition.

    Request an official USC transcript showing your course grade.

    Develop faculty connections that may support recommendation letters.

    Recommendation letters are not guaranteed, and credit transfer depends on the receiving institution.

    Where does Health and Healing take place?

    The program is based at USC’s University Park Campus in Los Angeles, with access to library reading rooms, computer labs and campus health services. Academic visits include The Huntington library and gardens, Cedars-Sinai’s arts and humanities center and USC Health Sciences Library.

    International participants arrange their own travel; early arrival and late departure housing are not offered.

    Health and Healing FAQs

    It covers the history of Western medicine, medical anthropology, narrative medicine and narrative nonfiction writing. Students also examine ethics, AI and the cultural and social contexts of health care.

    Teams translate a real health issue across art, medicine and AI, creating a public-facing interactive exhibition and a curated digital portfolio.

    Successful completion earns three units of university elective credit. Other colleges decide whether to accept the credits, and an official graded transcript can be requested from USC’s registrar.

    Eligible local participants can commute while living with a parent or legal guardian in Los Angeles or Orange County. International participants and domestic participants living abroad must live on campus.

    Residential advisors live in the halls and are available at all times. USC provides 24/7 public safety patrols, card-controlled hall access and emergency notifications.

    USC Summer Programs does not offer financial aid or assistance.

    No. Participation does not guarantee admission to USC or its schools, and undergraduate applicants must follow the separate university admission process.

    Participants must bring their own laptops. USC provides access to campus computer labs, printing facilities and a secured wireless network.

    Alternatives to Health and Healing

    Compare these options if you want to emphasize medicine, writing or an online study format.

    Alternatives to Health and Healing

    Medicine in Yale

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    Students comparing medicine-focused campus programs

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    Ben Stacy

    Content reviewed by

    Ben Stacy

    Co-founder, Succeed | Former secondary teacher and educational leader

    Ben works at the intersection of education, technology and school adoption, with expertise in how secondary schools evaluate data-driven tools and how education technology is used in practice.

    View author page

    Sources and verification

    Source types reviewed

    • Summer Programs Application Management
    • USC Summer Programs Transcripts | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs Tuition and Fees | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs Policies | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs FAQs | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs International Application | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Residential and Commuter Experience | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs Overview | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs Application and Admission | USC Pre-College
    • USC Summer Programs | USC Pre-College
    • History of Medicine Summer Program | USC Pre-College

    Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.

    What we verified (on 5 Oct 2026)

    • Official course page checked

    • Application requirements reviewed

    • Program dates cross-checked

    • Residential and commuter costs reviewed

    • Credit transfer conditions reviewed

    • Safety and refund policies reviewed

    How Succeed uses this information

    We use source material to verify core facts, then show older cycle dates as reference when a current cycle is not available. Always check current application instructions before applying.