INDS B.S.: Healthcare Provider Wellness
Spring 2026 Capstone
My INDS Degree
The modern healthcare system demands immense mental, physical, and emotional resilience from its professionals. Healthcare workers often encounter high levels of stress, endure long working hours, and experience emotional fatigue, all of which contribute to poor mental health and burnout (CDC, n.d.). According to the World Health Organization, burnout is characterized by “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. (WHO, 2019)” Burnout not only diminishes the quality of life for healthcare providers but can also negatively impact the level of care they can provide for their patients.
My individualized degree in Healthcare Provider Wellness seeks to investigate the issue of burnout in healthcare workers. By focusing on effective, healthy practices that professionals can adopt to manage stress and enhance their well-being, this degree plan will deepen my understanding of their challenges while exploring potential solutions to alleviate them.
Post Graduation Plans
After completing my degree, I plan to attend medical school and pursue a residency in a neurosurgical program. Although I do not intend to take on administrative positions as a neurosurgeon, an essential responsibility of any surgeon is to lead the surgical team, which includes nurses, technicians, anesthesiologists, and other support staff involved in the operation (American College of Surgeons, n.d.).
Courses In My INDS Degree
✅Psychological Resilience and Mental Health: Focusing on psychological sciences, this concentration will explore mental health, stress management, the interplay between physical and mental health, and cognitive-behavioral strategies to enhance healthcare providers’ emotional well-being. (PSYC 285, 370, 385,216, EDHS 311, PHIL 351)
✅Social Determinants, Occupational Health, and Ethical Considerations of Healthcare: Rooted in Sociology, Public Health, and Philosophy, this interdisciplinary area will analyze how social structures, work environments, and societal expectations impact healthcare providers’ well-being while also exploring the role of philosophy in understanding individual motivations, moral challenges, and the pursuit of professional and personal fulfillment and meaning. (SOCY 310, 351, PBHL 354, SOCY 458, ANTH 312, PHIL 351, 375, EDHS 202, 203)
✅Physiological Foundations of Health and Wellness: This concentration will explore the molecular, cellular, and biochemical mechanisms that underlie human health and inform wellness practices. (BIOL 302, 303, 233, CHEM 351, 352, 437)
✅ Individualized Study: This concentration will establish a foundation for critically evaluating my academic selections, incorporating a variety of perspectives into my degree plan, and applying knowledge from multiple disciplines. (INDS 330H, 335,INDS 410 – Internship| EDHS 202 – Emergency Medical Technician I & II, 480, 490, STAT 350)