HLTH/THEA 215-010 for Fall 2024
INTERDISCIPLINARY IPE COURSE — 3 CREDITS
Fulfills Group A and DLE Requirements
Fulfills Theatre Minor & Healthcare Theatre Minor Requirements
Course Introductory Meeting is Online on Zoom
HLTH/THEA 215-010, meets every fall and spring semester and it incorporates film, text, observation, improvisation acting, and experiential learning to prepare students for acting roles in various simulated healthcare settings. This course will be offered in person and virtually. All students must be present on campus to enroll in this course. Simulations will assess the medical and communication skills of in-training health care providers. The simulated performers will learn how to give objective, professional feedback from the patient’s perspective to the healthcare participants. This course promises to improve the student’s own communication skills in and out of simulation.
As a simulated performer you will have the opportunity to learn and perform with well-known healthcare learner programs such as:
- UD: Nursing (undergraduate & graduate), Physical Therapy, Health Coaching, Speech Language Pathology, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Nutrition, Anthropology, Psychology, Patience Experience Academy, our UD EMS teams, and many others.
- Outside UD: Nemours Children’s Health, Christiana Care Health System, Jefferson Medical School, Wilmington VA Medical Center, Beebe Medical Center, Bayhealth, NJAFP, MHA, SL24, PeerView Institute, and more.
Due to the performing opportunities and high standards of professionalism that we require from our students, the course does not have open enrollment. Instead, we use a course introductory meeting to inform each student. Diversity is welcome and encouraged.
So, if you are going into the healthcare field, want to improve your communication skills, or are interested in the opportunity to act in interesting improvised scenarios, then this course is for you!
More Information:
http://www1.udel.edu/healthcaretheatre/
http://www.udel.edu/researchmagazine/issue/vol3_no1_humanities/standardized_patients.html
F.A.Q.s
When will the class meet?
This class will meet every fall and spring semesters on the first three Thursdays from 6-9pm and then every Thursday virtually for one hour (6-7pm) through the course of the semester. The first three Thursday classes are mandatory. No exceptions. Following that, students will fulfill required simulated performance hours that will be scheduled outside of your other class times and work schedules.
How many credits is the class worth and what requirements does it fulfill?
Three (3) credits and this course satisfies the University Discovery Learning (DLE) and the Group A breadth requirement. HLTH/THEA 215 will also fulfill requirements in our Healthcare Theatre Minor and any Theatre Minor.
How many hours of performances will I be required to do per week?
Roughly equivalent to the amount of time you would spend on a three credit class, including class and study time: Roughly 32 total semester hours.
I’m not a Theatre Minor, and I don’t have any background in acting. Am I still allowed to audition?
Acting experience is not necessary. As part of the course, the simulated performers will be trained to portray a patient, family member, or other health care providers. Ninety-percent of all our students have not acted before.
Will I be allowed to miss a class or any performance?
The simple answer is no for the first three Thursday evening class periods. You cannot miss any of these classes. If you do, you will be dropped from the course. After the third week, your sessions will be scheduled outside of your regular class time. Since these simulations will be scheduled around your own classes, you cannot miss any of these sessions. This is not a class which you can choose to miss. If there is a true emergency, we will find a substitute for you.
What happens if I am late?
You cannot be late for any part of this course. It is like a theatre performance. If you have issues with being on time, do not take this course.
If you would like to be enrolled, please contact Heather Mekulski (hem@udel.edu) to schedule an online interview. If you have questions, please contact us as you see below:
Email Heather Mekulski and Allan Carlsen | (hem@udel.edu) & (acarlsen@udel.edu)
Please include the following information in your Email. Name, attended Email address, your major, year, and cell phone number. (You cannot enroll on your own.) We will contact you back. Thank you.
