Professor: Monteiro Course format: Seminar Number of respondents: 18 Total Enrollment: 23

Class Composition Froshs: 0 Sophs: 0 Jrs: 5 Srs: 18 Concs: 16 Non-Concs: 1 Don't Know: 0	Instructor Average: 2.18 Course Average: 1.98

"Health and Society Senior Seminar," true to its namesake, is a course intended for senior Health and Society concentrators. It is designed for the participants to synthesize what they have learned in the previous years and also teach/share with each other about different aspects of public health. Some students, though, complained that they were unaware of specific class goals. This class required a clear understanding of the concepts of public health and structures of the U.S. health care system and also a thorough knowledge of the jargon and solid background in public health.

Due to nature of the course, students basically led the class while the instructors added comments and questions. Most found the instructors' interjections thought-provoking and appropriate though some thought they occasionally interrupted and dominated the discussions and sometimes went on unrelated tangents. The professor were well-liked by the students who found them funny, easy-going, and down-to-earth.

The class was divided into three groups and each group led the class for three weeks. Other assignments included a bibiographic essay, an eight to ten page paper, and a take-home final exam. Most people reported spending about two to five hours on the class. All mentioned that much more effort and time was required during the weeks when they led the class

The respondents were generally pleased with an opportunity to integrate the material learned over the years at Brown and to take that knowledge to another level. Others were glad because they were able to exchange ideas, thoughts, and experiences with other health and society concentrators. Some, though, felt the course lacked aim and likened the class to a talk show with goofy, funny co-hosts (instructors) making random comments while the audience (students) expressed unintelligible babble.

BiCo 191 is required for health and society concentrators so most respondents had to take this class. Even so, a majority welcomed the chance to put together what they have learned and to present it to peers who are able to discuss the subject intelligently. Coupled with knowledgeable instructors, it is a rare opportunity to go in-depth and really explore an area that one has devoted so much time to.

View BC/0191 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.