Fostering Wonder Through the Arts and Humanities: Using Visual Thinking Strategies in Medical Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Arts in Medicine
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Wonder is a vital component of education, influencing patient care, scientific discovery, and lifelong learning in academic medicine.
• Despite its importance, fostering wonder in physicians has not been a specific goal in medical education, and innovative methods remain underexplored.
• Arts and humanities integration in medical education shows promise for developing clinical skills like observation, critical thinking, and empathy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) in developing a capacity for wonder among physicians.
• To examine how VTS, an arts-based learning activity, can foster wonder in the context of medical education.

Main Methods:

• The study explores Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a widely used arts-based learning activity in medical education.
• It examines how VTS aligns with and supports the core principles of wonder-based pedagogy.

Main Results:

• Visual Thinking Strategies can effectively help develop a capacity for wonder in physicians.
• VTS supports key elements of wonder-based pedagogy, including exploration, improvisation, imagination, personal interest, and the educator's ethos.

Conclusions:

• Visual Thinking Strategies present a viable and underexplored method for cultivating wonder in medical professionals.
• Integrating arts-based approaches like VTS into medical curricula can enhance physicians' capacity for wonder, benefiting patient care and professional development.