The field of the medical humanities is developing rapidly, however,
there has also been parallel concern from sceptics that the value of
medical humanities educational interventions should be open to scrutiny
and evidence. Just what is the impact of medical humanities provision
upon the education of medical students? In an era of limited resources,
is such provision worth the investment? This innovative text addresses
these pressing questions, describes the contemporary territory
comprising the medical humanities in medical education, and explains how
this field may be developed as a key medical education component for the
future.
Bleakley, a driving force of the international movement to establish the
medical humanities as a core and integrated provision in the medical
curriculum, proposes a model that requires collaboration between
patients, artists, humanities scholars, doctors and other health
professionals, in developing medical students' sensibility (clinical
acumen based on close noticing) and sensitivity (ethical, professional
and humane practice). In particular, this text focuses upon how medical
humanities input into the curriculum can help to shape the identities of
medical students as future doctors who are humane, caring, expressive
and creative - whose work will be technically sound but considerably
enhanced by their abilities to communicate well with patients and
colleagues, to empathise, to be adaptive and innovative, and to act as
'medical citizens' in shaping a future medical culture as a model
democracy where social justice is a key aspect of medicine.
Making sense of the new wave of medical humanities in medical education
scholarship that calls for a 'critical medical humanities', Medical
Humanities and Medical Education incorporates a range of case studies
and illustrative and practical examples to aid integrating medical
humanities into the medical curriculum. It will be important reading for
medical educators and others working with the medical education
community, and all those interested in the medical humanities.
