how to write a medical humanities essay

how to write a medical humanities essay

Writing a Persuasive Medical Humanities Essay

1. Introduction

This has led several researchers to question whether the biomedical mindset has simply become equated with the most effective way to deliver healthcare, and to what extent healthcare has become identified with the biomedical enterprise.

Although the value of practicing humane and compassionate medicine is more or less taken for granted, many doubt whether a humanistic approach really contributes to the abilities of diagnosing and treating the patient. The lessons and methods of humanities can seem alien, impractical, and irrelevant to those who have been trained exclusively in the biomedical sciences. At the same time, the humanities remain virtually absent from the education and continuing education of other healthcare practitioners such as dentists, nurses, and various therapists.

Many critical medical humanities researchers and scholars are working from within medical schools and in the clinical setting, attempting to re-establish the traditional humanistic values in the education of healthcare practitioners and to provide humanistic perspectives and methods to the practice of biomedicine. This has been an enormous and difficult task, as the powerful influence of biomedicine has created a sort of intellectual and moral monoculture within the medical profession.

Modern healthcare practice is currently under critical re-evaluation and reconsideration. In this context, many researchers have directed their attention to the humanities to ask the important questions of value, purpose, and justice that traditionally have guided philosophical reflection on the human condition. This works from the assumption that scientific knowledge is essential to the practice of medicine, as biomedicine has made healthcare more effective and efficient in many ways. However, it has also led to new problems and questions, changing the nature of care and the meanings of health and medicine.

2. Choosing a Compelling Topic

You have complete freedom of choice in deciding the topic for your essay. There are a variety of ways in which you can approach this topic. You can choose to delve into a social issue that affects health and well-being, such as poverty, homelessness, or environmental concerns. Another approach would be to discuss an important medical issue that is currently in the news and try to persuade the reader to take a specific course of action with regards to it. A third way to go about this is to describe a personal experience of your own, either one which has led you to the decision to enter the medical profession or one which has offered you a unique perspective in the field of medicine. No matter what subject you choose, your essay must be in the form of an argument. When we think of arguments, we might picture two red-faced people speaking quite loudly and making dramatic gestures. Real argument is “a coherent and cogent attempt to convince or compel an audience to accept a specific conclusion or course of action.” To this end, you will use argument to convince the reader to see things from your perspective.

3. Researching and Gathering Relevant Information

Developing a clear thesis and locating your evidence thoroughly is paramount to completing an excellent persuasive essay. It is very important to ensure that you have a developed thesis, as this will be the focal point of your paper. It is recommended to review the assignment sheet at this point, along with brainstorming ideas for potential theses. Once you have a solid thesis, you will begin to gather evidence to support your claim. It is wise to keep in mind that the evidence gathered should be in support of your own thesis and not an opposite thesis. Organizing the evidence to match the development of your thesis is crucial to ensure the effectiveness of your argument. It is recommended to tag or copy and paste quotes to prevent the hassle of losing the source later on down the line of writing. Consider making an outline to ensure that you are including and excluding information that will eventually result in reaching your thesis. Make sure to avoid making a so-called “data dump” where you compile information that doesn’t really have any relevance to your thesis. Keep in mind that quality is always better than quantity.

4. Structuring Your Essay Effectively

When you have detailed your arguments, go back and check them against the question you are addressing. If you were to present your outline to someone who did not know what the topic is, he or she would still be able to understand which way you intend to steer the reader. In a persuasive essay, your selection of words should allude to the essay’s overall aim. For example, use words like ‘proves’ or ‘disproves’ if you are trying to validate an argument. Use visual and emotive language for arguments where you wish to incite change. This should paint a clear picture of which direction your essay is going. Remember, however, to stay on dry land. Do not muddy your arguments with fallacies or rhetoric. These will weaken your arguments’ overall effectiveness and cause you to lose the case.

Persuading your readers to change their perspective on an issue is an achievement if the writer can manifest this in their writing. However, writing a persuasive essay can be likened to making a lawyer’s case in a court or debate competition. The writer should know the DNA of his or her arguments before even opening MS Word to type his first paragraph. Most writing teachers will recommend that you create an outline of the arguments you intend to cover in your essay. This is like building a scaffold to prevent erosion. Make your outline as detailed as possible and do not stint on the time that you spend on it. Think about your arguments. What are the rational reasons you can present to illustrate their truth? What evidence can you provide which demonstrates their effectiveness? Do you have any examples that will sway your reader’s opinion to your angle?

5. Crafting a Persuasive Argument

– Introduction: What is persuasive writing? – Establishing your position and appealing to reason: The Toulmin model – Appealing to Emotion – Enhancing the ethos: The credibility of the author and its relation to the arguments. – Consideration of the Audience – Conclusion: The Dear Doctor example and The 5-Step “Survival” Guide for a Persuasive Humanities essays. Your conviction on a specific position on an issue can be very strong. In order to articulate your position into a form of an argument that can persuade others to consider it, you will need to compose a persuasive essay. Writing a successful persuasive essay, especially one that can be classified as a medical humanities essay, takes careful planning. While your first instinct might be to write a very impassioned piece, this may not be strategic given the nature of medical humanities and the questions it asks. Logic and reason carry a more universal quality than do emotions, and because medical humanities addresses issues that are quite human and quite global in nature, logical arguments are best supported by this language. Therefore it will be in your best interest to limit your essay to a discussable albeit debatable position and offer compelling logical arguments that are well supported. Step one in the process of persuasion then, will be decision on a specific thesis for your essay.