A seminar in 'Plain Doctoring'.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Humanities in Medicine
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Preclinical medical education often lacks focus on the patient's subjective experience.
• Understanding the physician's role in patient care requires exploring the phenomenology of illness.
• Integrating humanities can enhance medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an elective preclinical seminar focused on patient and physician phenomenology.
• To examine the patient's experience of illness and treatment through student home visits.
• To foster reflection on the process of patient care.

Main Methods:

• An elective, preclinical seminar titled "Plain Doctoring" was implemented.
• Medical students conducted home visits as a primary learning tool.
• Readings from the humanities complemented the clinical experiences.

Main Results:

• Student home visits served as the core educational text.
• The seminar facilitated examination of patient illness experiences.
• Reflective practice on patient care processes was encouraged.

Conclusions:

• The "Plain Doctoring" seminar was favorably received by students, patients, and instructors.
• Home visits effectively bridge clinical learning with humanities-based reflection.
• This approach enhances understanding of patient and physician roles in healthcare.