A Scoping Review of Programs of Active Arts Engagement in International Medical Curricula

Arts and humanities are often positioned as 'additive' to medical education, rather than 'intrinsic'. They are also used to teach skills and perspective-taking more than utilising their transformative potential to propel personal insight and social advocacy. There is, therefore, a need for more meaningful and strategic integration of the arts in medical curricula. Existing reviews combine active and receptive arts engagement, although these methods represent different magnitudes of engagement.

This review aimed to synthesise the use of active arts engagement in undergraduate medical curricula internationally. We searched seven databases for articles published between 1991-2024.

We reviewed 134 studies conducted in 27 countries (total n = 10,700). Most programs were medium-intensity (e.g., standalone modules), used visual and performing arts, and aimed to foster skills mastery, perspective-taking, and personal insight. Studies on artmaking for social advocacy were lacking, as was data about program evaluation and learner assessment. Almost all survey instruments used were unvalidated.

Studies of active arts engagement are disproportionately low compared to receptive engagement, signaling missed opportunities to leverage the benefits of the arts. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries, illuminating that lower-income countries do not have a strong voice in the knowledge exchange. To avoid devaluing the arts in medical curricula, we suggest that medical educators: a) direct attention to creative opportunities to engage students with social advocacy; b) collaborate with arts/humanities professionals and international medical educators; c) consider more meaningful and strategic integrations of active arts engagement into medical curricula, approaching them with the same rigor as other medical education programs to maximise their pedagogical potential.