Whither (Whether) Medical Humanities? The Future of Humanities and Arts in Medical Education

A guiding framework to maximise the power of the arts in medical education: a systematic review and metasynthesis

“…Our selection strategy yielded 49 articles . Of these, 35 presented empirical data and 14 were conceptual in nature.…”

Medical humanities: a closer look at learning

“…The results presented in theme 6—The role of the medical humanities, ‘a new appreciation’—illustrate similarities with the Shapiro model for inclusion of the humanities 8. There are definite clusters that follow the ‘acquiescence’ model, where the learning has been described as ornamental in terms of being enjoyable or a break from the usual study routine.…”

“…The faculty interviewed had not read the Shapiro article8; however, all reported the possibility of student learning in all areas identified by the model. It is not only academic faculty and researchers20 that have mixed views on the purpose of the medical humanities, but it may also be a feature of student engagement with the module.…”

“…The range of motivations for including the humanities in medical education is captured by Shapiro,8 who describes two emerging models that defend the trend. In the acquiescence model, programmes are developed to provide assistance to the biomedical model of medical education.…”

Looking forward

“…Some ‘medical humanities’ departments have not a single humanities professor or professional artist in their ranks, yet well-meaning and dedicated amateurs (in the true and positive sense of the word—‘lovers of’) who happen to be doctors are charged with teaching students. We need the various critical lenses that our colleagues in the arts and humanities bring to healthcare settings and clinical encounters and we need to engage and pay them as equals in that exchange 3. As one of my own colleagues at The University of Toronto put it: ‘I can see what's in it for the faculty of medicine, but what's in it for us?’.…”