What are the most effective ways to teach students about the history of medicine and healthcare?

1 Use a thematic approach

One way to make the history of medicine and healthcare more interesting and meaningful for students is to use a thematic approach. This means organizing your lessons around key themes or questions that connect different historical periods, regions, and perspectives. For example, you could explore how different cultures have defined and treated diseases, how medical innovations have influenced social and political movements, or how ethical issues have emerged and evolved in healthcare. A thematic approach can help students develop critical thinking, comparative analysis, and historical empathy skills.

2 Incorporate primary sources

Another way to enhance your teaching of the history of medicine and healthcare is to incorporate primary sources into your lessons. Primary sources are original documents, artifacts, or testimonies that provide firsthand evidence of a historical event or phenomenon. For example, you could use letters, diaries, photographs, medical records, or interviews to illustrate how people experienced and responded to health issues in the past. Primary sources can help students develop historical inquiry, literacy, and interpretation skills. They can also make the history of medicine and healthcare more personal and authentic for students.

3 Use digital tools and resources

A third way to improve your teaching of the history of medicine and healthcare is to use digital tools and resources. Digital tools and resources are online platforms, applications, or databases that offer access to historical information, data, or media. For example, you could use interactive timelines, maps, or simulations to visualize and compare historical trends and patterns, online archives or libraries to find and analyze primary sources, or podcasts, videos, or games to engage and motivate students. Digital tools and resources can help students develop digital literacy, research, and collaboration skills. They can also make the history of medicine and healthcare more accessible and diverse for students.

4 Connect to current issues

A fourth way to enrich your teaching of the history of medicine and healthcare is to connect it to current issues. Current issues are contemporary problems, debates, or events that relate to health and well-being. For example, you could use the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, or the global health inequities to demonstrate how the history of medicine and healthcare influences and informs the present. Current issues can help students develop relevance, awareness, and citizenship skills. They can also make the history of medicine and healthcare more topical and impactful for students.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?