Human values teaching programs in the clinical education of medical students

Medical school deans and faculty members were surveyed by the Association of American Medical Colleges to obtain information on 1984-85 courses designed to improve students' ability to examine their values in relation to those of patients, communicate effectively with patients, or think critically about cultural, social, and ethical issues arising in medical care. Of the 126 deans contacted, 113 supplied course descriptions, and 99 responded to survey questions about the integration of human values programs into students' clinical education. Ninety-five schools reported that at least one human values course was required during the first or second year of the curriculum; 38 schools listed a program as part of the required curriculum for the third or fourth year. The respondents reported several ways in which human values programs were integrated into clinical education. The most frequently mentioned method was reinforcement or addition of human values emphases during medical clerkships. The process considered to be most important by respondents in achieving this integration was a combination of interactions among faculty members, improvement of human values courses, and the support of the dean. The respondents also reported on the characteristics of faculty members who teach such courses, on faculty development efforts, on barriers to the integration of human values teaching into the curriculum, and on the evaluation of such courses.