"History of Medicine" provides an accessible historical and interdisciplinary perspective on medicine, focused primarily upon therapy and practice, to achieve better understanding of the scope, practice, and limits of medicine. Medicine is defined as the treatment of disease. Human attempts to understand and treat disease will be seen as evolving from the spiritual and mystical practices of the distant past, to the rational approach of the Classical World, and finally to the scientific thinking of the Renaissance and beyond.
The History of Medicine: Philosophy, Science, and Psychology
Instructors: Grant Hartzog
10,578 already enrolled
Included with
(66 reviews)
What you'll learn
You will learn to describe historical attempts to unravel the mysteries of disease with various theoretical models.
You will learn to tell the story of the major advances in modern medicine.
You will learn to speculate on the future of medicine from an informed perspective.
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
10 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 5 modules in this course
We start with the basics this week: disease, medicine, and the origins of therapy.
What's included
7 videos5 readings2 assignments
This week we travel through time and space, from the ancient world to the Renaissance, to Egypt, India, Greece, China, the Islamic world, and finally, Western Europe.
What's included
10 videos4 readings2 assignments
This week we review the rapid advances in science (and pseudoscience) in the the 18th and 19th centuries.
What's included
7 videos4 readings2 assignments
This week we're getting into drugs and alternative medicine.
What's included
7 videos4 readings2 assignments
We've finally made it back to the present. This week we review the current state of the art and look ahead at the future of medicine.
What's included
11 videos4 readings2 assignments1 peer review
Instructors
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Basic Science
DeepLearning.AI
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
The University of Edinburgh
Universiteit Leiden
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Learner reviews
66 reviews
- 5 stars
79.41%
- 4 stars
19.11%
- 3 stars
1.47%
- 2 stars
0%
- 1 star
0%
Showing 3 of 66
Reviewed on Mar 19, 2023
It was challenging at best. I loved the ending project.
Reviewed on Mar 19, 2023
its a good course but i dont like the final project where it has to be peer edited
Reviewed on Apr 12, 2023
This was an amazing course! I learned so much more about the history of medicine and some important figures in medical history. Very fascinating!
New to Basic Science? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
You will be eligible for a full refund until two weeks after your payment date, or (for courses that have just launched) until two weeks after the first session of the course begins, whichever is later. You cannot receive a refund once you’ve earned a Course Certificate, even if you complete the course within the two-week refund period. See our full refund policy.