Honors Medical London Course Takes Classroom to London

From unforgettable adventures in a city teeming with history and culture to friendships forged in the heat of exploration, the Farquhar Honors College’s Medical London, Culture and Context course offers Honors students a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience in the heart of London. Tracing the history and cultural context of medicine in London, this Winter 2023 course brings the curriculum to life during a week-long trip to the city of Charles Darwin, Alexander Fleming, and other great medical pioneers.

The Medical London, Culture and Context course is offered every winter semester exclusively to Honors students. The course facilitates interdisciplinary and experiential learning, allowing students to travel to London to study the history and development of Western medicine through various lenses. During the trip, students accompany course instructors Jeffrey Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., and Aileen Farrar, Ph.D., associate professors in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS), on excursions to the city’s many medical and cultural sites.

“Everywhere you go [in London] is related to history in some way,” said Hoch, whose favorite part of London is the Bloomsbury neighborhood where the class will be staying, home to many of London’s most famous museums and inhabitants. “Walking down any street, you will see English Heritage’s Blue Plaques marking locations where important events took place or where important people lived. Every neighborhood was built during different time periods, and the varying architecture is another way to experience the history of London.”

The class gets a taste of London through its food, museums, and landmarks like Alexander Fleming’s Lab, the Olde Operating Theatre, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace, to name a few. During this year’s trip, the class will also explore Oxford for a day, a prominent seat of academia in the western world.

“As a literature professor, or simply as someone who just likes to read, it is captivating to see a place with so much history,” said Farrar. “We think we have accurately built the worlds in our minds that authors and artists have painted for us, but being there has left me with indelible memories that have expanded my imagination.”

Apart from class expeditions, students also have the opportunity to embark on independent journeys in London, exploring the city on their own whims and conducting research for their individual projects that will conclude their course experience.

Students return home not only with greater knowledge and cherished keepsakes from their time abroad but also with fond memories that will last a lifetime. From tales of Dr. Hoch’s quick wits while navigating London to dressing up in Victorian costumes at Charles Darwin’s house, the trip is never short of laughs and inside jokes that cement the course as a highlight in many students’ undergraduate careers.

“Through this trip, I was able to expose myself to the rich cultural and medical history in London, and I could apply the concepts I learned in class to the sites I visited,” said alum Jessie Young. “In addition to having this amazing learning experience, my class became like a family away from home. Typically, in the classroom, there isn’t much of a chance to form deep connections due to studying and assignments, but trips like this have this great balance between hands-on learning and developing long-lasting friendships.”

Learn more about the upcoming Medical London course.

Posted 11/04/22