Art of Medicine

“Many, if not most, medical schools have recognized the value of including the humanities in the education of future doctors, art for medical education. A person who appreciates art is likely to be open-minded, curious, at ease with the unknown, able to tolerate ambiguity, and to approach artwork with a beginner’s mind – that is as if they were experiencing something for the first time. The need for this is expressed by a third year McGill medical student, Susan M Ge, who wrote, ‘Due to the technology available to look into the patient, doctors have lost the ability to see the manifestations of illness from simply observing the external appearance and demeanor of the patient. This void in the area of observation can be filled by the study of art. A piece of artwork holds both the physical and emotional back story of the people depicted in it if one knows how to look.'”¹³

Art of medicine, art as medicine, and art for medical education via CMEJ.