Spring 2010

T C 357 • History of American Medicine

Course Description

The course will focus on the theory and practice of medicine in the United States from the 17th century to the present. Topics include our changing biological environment, the history of public health campaigns, the development of medical research, the role of the physician, and the impact of disease on American history.

Grading Policy

Students will be required to lead one class discussion, write one book review, and write a term paper, approximately thirty pages in length, based largely on primary sources.

Texts

Laurie Garrett, The Coming Plague
Judith Leavitt, Typhoid Mary
David Oshinsky, Polio: An American Story
Charles Rosenberg, The Cholera Years
Paul Starr, The Transformation of American Medicine

About the Professor

Professor Oshinsky specializes in 20th Century U.S. political and cultural history. He was the Pulitzer Prize winner in 2006 in the History category for his recently published book, Polio: An American Story.

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