Health humanities: Lessons learnt in designing and implementing a curricular framework and student feedback through...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Arts in Medicine
• Interdisciplinary Studies

Background:

• Medical humanities integrate arts and ethics to understand patient experiences.
• The field aims to foster empathy and a holistic healthcare perspective in medical professionals.
• It emphasizes human interaction and creativity in medical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a choice-based medical humanities coursework on undergraduate medical students.
• To evaluate student engagement and perceived benefits of integrating arts into medical training.
• To explore the potential for structured humanities programs in medical colleges.

Main Methods:

• A 14-hour, choice-based coursework was implemented for 150 first and second-year medical students.
• Students engaged in literature, photography, painting, film studies, and dramatics.
• A "Humanities Mahotsav" event showcased student work, followed by feedback collection.

Main Results:

• Students reported the coursework was interesting and fostered more empathetic thinking.
• A majority supported structured arts programs in medical colleges.
• Most students preferred no formal assessment for humanities coursework.

Conclusions:

• Medical humanities coursework positively influences students' empathy and professional development.
• There is a need to integrate humanities effectively within medical education for equal validity.
• Further exploration is required to optimize the synergy between medical training and humanities.