FOCUS SESSION TITLE:  The Medical Humanities: What Are They and What Is Their Role in Medical Education?
   
SESSION LEADER(S):  Chris Hackler, Ph.D., University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, U.S.A.
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OTHER PRESENTERS:   
   
HANDOUTS  or  SLIDES
 
 
The session moderator began by suggesting that the medical humanities are the traditional humanities disciplines as applied to issues of medical practice, education, and research.  Core humanities disciplines such as history, philosophy, and literature are clearly included, but also related disciplines such as anthropology, law, and the social sciences.  The term “social medicine” was discussed as a possibly more inclusive term.  It was generally agreed that defining the term correctly was less important than actually bringing the insights and methods of the humanities (broadly understood) to bear on problems and concerns of medical practice and research.

The group then considered several issues to be faced in introducing the humanities into medical education.  When are they best taught?  Some thought early in the curriculum before attitudes are formed and hardened, whereas others opted for later when students actually see patients and are involved in their care.  Models for integrating humanities education throughout all four years were considered.  Other questions discussed included:

  • Who should teach the humanities, medical doctors who perhaps have a better first-hand appreciation for the importance of humanistic knowledge for medical practice, or humanities scholars, who may have a better knowledge of the history and methodology of their own disciplines?

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  • What is the best method for teaching the humanities, large lectures or small seminars?  While imparting information about the humanities is important, the humanistic virtues of discernment, awareness of perspective, and critical judgment may best be produced in smaller classes that encourage discussion and participation.

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  • How should humanities courses be evaluated and graded?  Using a pass-fail system may encourage cooperation over competition and make the humanities more enjoyable and less stressful than more competitive courses; it may also send an undesirable message that the humanities are less important or that they have no standards of excellence.

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  • Which humanities courses should be required and which should be elective?  The most commonly required course is ethics, though some schools require history or philosophy of medicine.  It was acknowledged, however, that decisions about the elements of the required curriculum are usually made at a higher administrative level than the humanities department.
The last portion of the session focused on teaching ethics to medical students.  Some of the above issues were revisited, especially the matter of lectures versus small group discussions.  The session closed by considering a central pedagogical issue: how do we acknowledge the cultural grounding of ethical norms while avoiding a nihilistic ethical relativism?
 

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