Relating literature to medicine: blending humanism and science in medical education

There is a need to add a humanistic component to scientific aspects of medical education. It must be adequately organized and evaluated to compete successfully in an already overcrowded curriculum. This study reports an educational experiment involving three consecutive freshmen classes in a new community-based medical school. A specialist in literature and a psychiatrist teach a two-week course to first-year students in which themes and topics relevant to medical practice are explored through selected readings and patient interviews that are integrated into daily experiential groups. The outcome of the course and similarities and differences between years are explored in relation to group sessions, class composition, reading assignments, and patient interviews.