Keywords

Medical Education, Interdisciplinary Teaching, Art-based Learning, Professional Development

Abstract

Advances in modern technologies reform medical education in various aspects, and physicians undergo progressively more rigorous and specialized technical training to meet the needs of a modern society that demands cure and longer life-expectancy. However, as we celebrate these advances in modern medicine and medical education, we should not neglect the human aspect of this doctoring profession. Physicians and prevalent medical pedagogies are not impeccable. Many studies discovered mitigated physical exam and observational ability in contemporary physicians. Since 2001, medical schools and residency programs experimented with using art to teach physical examination and observational skills. Participants embraced such programs enthusiastically. Quantitative and qualitative results suggested art is not only a powerful aid to teach observational skills, but also empathy, acceptance of ambiguity, and team-building.