The Medical Humanities is the unique crossover of the fine arts and medical sciences. It is a field that explores the ethical, historical, literary, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of medicine or health. We heavily emphasize topics such as hope, grief, the art of listening, human connection, and the unique human experience in our studies, and believe that difficult topics such as these go hand in hand with medical education. It is no longer enough to view a patient as a list of symptoms: they, just as we are, are deeply complex human beings who expect and deserve empathetic and well-rounded care.

The mission of Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal is to provide insights into human experiences in both the context of medicine and the humanities. Our purpose for creating this journal is to highlight the diverse and multifaceted talents of our students, staff, and alumni, with the hope that the future of healthcare is empathetic, passionate, and ethical as a result of the incredible people who will lead it. Each person has a unique experience with healthcare whether they are currently employed in it or not, and for this reason we put heavy emphasis on diversity, reaching out to as many disciplines as possible across UTA and allowing for the submission of virtually every artform. Here at Stimulus, we want creators to have as many ways of expressing themselves as possible within the context of the medical humanities.