McGill Social Studies of Medicine

09/06/2026

Please join us on 9 September at 2:30pm in Room 101, 3647 Peel for the first SSoM seminar of the year.

Victoria-Oana Lupașcu (Université de Montréal)
Lost in the Hospital: Super-Structures and the (Un)attainability of Care
This presentation employs the concept of sickening landscapes (Qu, 2024) to think about health care and justice in contexts of ultra development. It understands hospitals as the intersection between the state and the individual and questions notions of scientific modernity, capitalist technological advancement in medicine and health care services and their alienating features when implemented, in theory, to serve underrepresented and marginalized groups of people. The presentation underscores the simultaneity of therapeutic (Dunkley 2009) and sickening (Varley and Varma, 2021) aspects found in hospitals as captured by Chinese contemporary cinematography.
The film H6 (2021) directed by Ye Ye makes visible the daily, often neglected, hurdles patients face in a large, very modern Shanghai hospital and highlights mundane aspects that constitute significant obstacles for professional, well-delivered and efficacious care. From finding the right wing in a super-hospital that offers more than fifty elevators to registering and paying at high-tech kiosks, these signs of infrastructural modernity alienate the ageing population and render services unattainable to the poor, the aging, the illiterate and the unaccompanied chronically ill.

We look forward to seeing many of you there!

09/05/2026

Come work with us!

Here is the link: For more information see: https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/McGill_Careers/job/Peel-3647/Postdoctoral-Researcher_JR0000079617

07/20/2026

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McGill No. 1 in Canada in new QS ranking 🙌 For the second consecutive year, McGill is Canada’s top university, according to the 2027 QS World University Rankings. Worldwide, McGill placed 30th out of 1,500 universities ranked, putting it in the top two per cent of institutions globally.
🔗https://ow.ly/tZxW50Zon7p
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McGill, première au Canada selon le nouveau classement QS 🙌 Le classement QS des universités mondiales 2027 place McGill au premier rang au Canada pour une deuxième année consécutive. À l’échelle mondiale, l’Université s’est classée au 30e rang sur les 1 500 universités évaluées, et occupe donc la tranche supérieure de 2 % parmi les meilleurs établissements universitaires au monde.
🔗https://ow.ly/fit850Zon7z

07/20/2026

Our colleague Prof Mary Hunter discusses her recent experiences as a patient in today's Globe and Mail

07/01/2026

Save the date!

06/17/2026

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The Institute of the History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins is excited to be hosting the 18th annual JAS-Med 2026 conference on 9/25-9/26! Founded with the mission of fostering a collegial intellectual community amongst graduate students and providing an engaging forum for graduate research, JAS-Med is proudly student-led and student-organized.

For more information, check out our website: https://jashistofmed.wordpress.com/

06/01/2026

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French version

05/20/2026

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University invites internal applications from ranked academic staff with current appointments at McGill University for the position of Chair, Department of Social Studies of Medicine. Established in 1966, the Department of Social Studies of Medicine is a multidisciplinary department with faculty members specializing in anthropology, architecture, art history, history, and philosophy, who investigate topics in medicine, biomedical research, public health, and health policy. It has a strong tradition of excellence in research and teaching and maintains significant links with the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Engineering.

Department members contribute to teaching in multiple graduate programs as well as in undergraduate
medicine. The Department is currently comprised of seven full-time members, five emeritus professors, and 15 associate members. The Department and its members are supported by four endowed chairs.

The successful candidate is expected to:
- Have a ranked academic position at McGill University;
- Have an internationally recognized research program;
- Have an engaging vision for the Department that builds upon existing areas of strength and collaboration
and expands to connect with new academic programs, research domains and strategic initiatives within
the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and across the University;
- Have the drive and leadership skills to realize that vision;
- Provide strategic guidance and support to the Osler Library and the Maude Abbott Medical Museum;
- Promote a collaborative and inclusive environment conducive to research and teaching excellence;
- Provide leadership in the recruitment, development, and mentoring of diverse faculty to achieve their full potential;
- Fluency in English is essential; a proficiency in French, or a commitment to acquiring it within a few years of appointment is preferred.

The Department is proud to host a respectful, multi-disciplinary and inclusive work setting in its multiple areas of activity, which includes the training of a diverse group of students. A record of experience applying equity, diversity and inclusion competencies will be considered an asset.

Term
The chair position is for a five-year term, starting September 1, 2026, which can be renewed once following a successful review.

Application Process
Please submit the required documentation by email to [email protected] no later than June 20, 2026.

05/14/2026

We are thrilled to announce that our colleague Prof Mary Hunter has been named Cotton-Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine 🪑🎉🏆

Mary Hunter was named Cotton-Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at McGill University in 2025. She is jointly appointed as Associate Professor in the Social Studies of Medicine Department in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and in the Department of Art History and Communication Studie...

05/13/2026

Thanks to our speakers, from near and far, and all who came out today to mark the retirement of medical historian Prof George Weisz from a spectacular 48-year career in our department. The talks were outstanding and the tributes heartfelt.

Raul Necochea (Chapel Hill): A Nearly Disavowed Oral History Adventure with Medical Students

Clare Herrick (King’s College London): The slack in the system: The American healthcare crisis, manpower planning and physician productivity 1950-1980

Shelley McKellar (Western University): The Material Culture of Surgery: ‘Cutting’ Instruments as Expressions of Surgical Values and Competencies

Here are some of our favourite pics.