History, Medical Humanities and Medical Education

A review of creative and expressive writing as a pedagogical tool in medical education

“…These were evaluated by two authors. Ninety‐one articles were selected that met the inclusion criteria for the review: 28 position paper overviews, six reviews, one meta‐analysis, two surveys, 19 quasi‐experimental studies, 10 mixed‐methods studies and 25 qualitative studies …”

“…Courses that overtly focused on writing incorporated an array of writing activities. The humanities in general, along with courses in narratives, medical humanities and learning through art, were reported to be in place in medical schools, although specifically teaching humanism (empathy and compassion as key components in the delivery of medical care) was recognised as different from simple inclusion of humanities in the medical curriculum …”

“…Narrative medicine programmes and inclusion of literature as a teaching tool were recognised as enjoyable activities. Although there was some enthusiasm for creative writing, as evidenced in the 28 position paper overviews advocating for writing in medical school, there was little evidence of a standardised approach across US schools in the articles assembled . There was recognition of a broader potential application of creative and expressive writing, notably that the soft skills needed to practise medicine are not unique when compared with other professions…”

Drugs, Devices, and Desires: A Problem-based Learning Course in the History of Medicine

“…Though the course itself was in an undergraduate health sciences program, a number of the students had an interest in joining the health professions, making this a reasonable elective course to offer (Dolan, 2010). One of the more distinctive elements of modern medical practice is the reliance on technologies to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases.…”

The humanising power of medical history: responses to biomedicine in the 20th century United States

“…It is also easy to see that voiced commitments to health and human values, humane healthcare and medical service to humanity sometimes can be little more than a facile rhetorical flourish. Nor is there assurance that medical history— any version of medical history—will actually succeed in inculcating humanistic qualities: the Yale physician-historian George Rosen long ago offered the sobering reminder that “medical history was being taught in practically every university in Germany before World War II and apparently had little effect on the medical students at the time” (Rosen, p 50) 52 61. Nevertheless, biomedicine and the idea that history might somehow offer one means of humanising it continue to be intertwined.…”