In the Denault Auditorium on Thurs. Feb. 1, Christ College hosted guest speaker Sarah O’Dell from the University of California Irvine, who discussed the relationship between the humanities and the medical sciences. 

O’Dell is an MD/PhD candidate at UCI, where she is completing a doctorate in English prior to completing her MD. Her presentation was closely related to her academic background as she delved into the relationship between the two subjects. “We seem to speak different languages from each other,” she said at the lecture. “Things have not always been this way…it’s a product of culture.”

O’Dell has extensively researched a specific historical figure relevant to the Medical Humanities: R.E. Havard, a physician and writer. He was close friends with major authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. All of them were part of a group called the Inklings, known for discussing and writing literary works in Oxford throughout the 1930s and 1940s. O’Dell is working on a book project called “The Medical Inkling,” which will be about Havard and bring recognition to his often-overlooked works.

“There’s a real treasure in rediscovering his published and unpublished writings…timeless reflections on medicine, literature and spirituality,” O’Dell said at the lecture. “Havard was not only a physician, but a writer who brought his own medical imagination into his writings on faith and beauty, as well as embarked on creative projects of his own.”

Havard’s involvement in interdisciplinary studies can inspire students, especially those seeking careers involving the sciences or the humanities. He placed importance on the concept of healing both the body and soul, and recognized the effect that both literature and our environments can have on both our bodies and our souls.

Freshman Callie Butler, a Biology major with a minor in Philosophy, attended the lecture because it correlated with her interests and her potential career in Bioethics.“Her speaking on beauty and reading as part of a medical prescription was really fascinating to me because the environment that we’re in really does shape our health,” she said.

O’Dell explained that this disciplinary flexibility can help physicians understand how to provide medical care that affects the entire body, including the soul. “Good medicine doesn’t always come in an orange bottle,” she said.

Junior Oliver Di Martino is a Biology major with a minor in Philosophy who resonated with O’Dell’s view on the division between both subjects and hopes to bridge the gap. “I would love to marry my passion for medical care with a rigorous education in the humanities,” Di Martino said. “O'Dell's path has inspired me to look more seriously at the possibility of combining my interests into an interdisciplinary career.”

English and Writing Professor Chase Seely graduated from Concordia in 2020. During his experience at the university, he attended similar events and learned about different topics that lectures would present to students. Seely looked to motivate his students to attend O’Dell’s presentation by offering them extra credit. 

Seely encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities available to learn more from qualified sources. He pointed out that Concordia is unique in that aspect, where there is a lot of interaction between students and faculty. “Just as a general advice for students, I’d say to engage more,” Seely said. “Our faculty and guest speakers have some really interesting ideas and they can relate it to your life.”

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