Jefferson Humanities & Health Programs

Q: What is this and why should I do this?

A: The Asano Humanities & Health Certificate is a co-curricular program that rewards your engagement in the arts and humanities and complements your formal course of study. Completion of the program signifies your effort toward becoming a healthcare professional who considers how the arts and humanities can cultivate close observation, communication, empathy, and reflection on the social contexts of wellbeing. Though all Jefferson Humanities & Health programs and events are free and open to the Jefferson community, registering for Asano means that you are committed to attending eight events and completing four reflections (and that you will have an opportunity to celebrate your achievement with us at the end of the academic year!). 

Participating in the Asano certificate program is a great way to motivate yourself to attend some incredible programs on campus, connect with a community of students similarly committed to the humanities, find personal enrichment, and expose yourself to content that you might not find elsewhere at Jefferson.  

SKMC students: You also might want to do Asano because it can count as one of your two Humanities Selective Credits (JMD 153/252).

Q: Does it matter what college I am in?

A: NO! The Asano Humanities & Health Certificate is open to all students in all colleges and programs, on all Jefferson campuses.

Q: What is the time commitment?

A: You have the entire academic year (until April 7, 2025) to attend eight programs and complete your reflections. Programs and events are usually one or two hours long, so you’re looking at 12-ish hours of programming plus the amount of time it will take you to thoughtfully respond to the reflection prompts (all of which can be spread out over the academic year).

JMD 153/252 students, please be aware that you will have an earlier midterm deadline at which half of your reflections are due. Please confirm your deadlines and requirements in the JMD 153/252 Credit Overview page in the Humanities & Health Canvas course and plan your reflection-process accordingly.

Q: If I start attending Asano events do I have to complete the Certificate?

A: Registration for and participation in Asano are not binding, i.e., you can stop at any point! 

If you are an SKMC student participating in Asano for Humanities Selective credit then please check with Education Coordinator Marcie Mamura before making the decision to drop Asano.

Q: Where can I find upcoming events? How often is the calendar updated?

A: All upcoming events can be found on the Humanities & Health website at jefferson.edu/humanities. The calendar is updated regularly (typically at least once per week) as programs are added. Any cancellations or postponements will also be noted as soon as possible.

Q: The student organization I am a part of is not listed under eligible organizations even though its content is related to arts and the humanities. Can my participation still count towards the Asano certificate?

A: Maybe! Reach out to Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator to see if it can count. Glad that you know that student organization participation can count for four out of eight of your events!

Q: I or my student organization have an upcoming event. Can it be eligible for Asano credit?

A: If your event supports student involvement in the arts and humanities, and/or highlights the social contexts of health and wellness, the lived experiences of diverse individuals and communities, or self-care for health professionals, it may be eligible for Asano credit. Please fill out this request form for Asano event eligibility and we will respond as soon as we can. Credit should be requested at least a week in advance from the event.

Q: Can I get this certificate more than once?

A: You can complete the Asano program as many times as you would like. However, SKMC students can only earn Humanities Selective credit for Asano once.

Q: Do events I attended in year's past roll over?

A: All Asano events that you attend for credit must be within the same academic year in which you are participating in the Asano Certificate program. So no, events you attended in past years do not count.

Q: What happens to the feedback you have received over the years? Do you integrate it?

A: Great question! We so appreciate the feedback that we have received in the year-end feedback form and from our cohort of Asano Student Advisory Committee members. 

For AY24-25, here are some programmatic elements we will be implementing in response to your feedback:

• More streamlined process for participants to mark their attendance at events and track their progress. 
• Attendance surveys will now be filled out in the Assignments module on the Jefferson Humanities & Health Canvas so that participants can also keep track in Canvas of which events they have attended. 
• We previously used the Qualtrics survey platform in addition to Canvas, and students told us that this was confusing at times. We hope centralizing attendance in Canvas provides for a smoother experience with more ability for participants to directly access their past attendance record. 

Q: Do I need to choose four different reflection prompts for each of my four reflections?

A: Nope! You can respond to whichever prompts you wish, as many times as you wish. I.e. you can respond to one prompt four times.

Q: I really loved a specific event. Can I reflect on it in four different ways for my four reflections?

A: We are so glad you loved an event this much! Unfortunately, we are looking for your four reflections to be in response to four unique events.

Q: Can the creative piece be something I already made or photographed?

A: We love that you want to share something you created previously, but the reflections should be inspired by or made in response to an Asano program you attend, and so your submission should be a new piece. 

Four (4) of your eight (8) events can come from participation in certain student organizations and university programs (below). You can mark your attendance for student group participation here.

• The Arrhythmias
• Diversity Council
• Jefferson Chamber Orchestra
• Jefferson Chapter of the American Geriatrics Society
• JeffLGBTQ
• JeffMentors
• JeffSOAR
• JeffYES
• JeffVotes
• J-Jams
• Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
• The Lymph Notes
• No One Dies Alone (NODA)
• NoRx Improv
• Palliative Care Interest Group
• The Story Initiative

Other initiatives and programs:

• Gold Humanism Honor Society
• Inside Out Editorial Committee
• JCLS DEI Journal Club
• Knitting and Crocheting Group
• Physician Executive Leadership (PEL) events or PEL+ program
• TimeSlips

Reach out to Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, if you have questions about an organization that is not listed.

Note: Student organization meetings and events must be registered through OSLE in order to count toward the certificate.