This paper explores how current developments within medical humanities might provide a way to both understand and address the origin of recent events that have left the profession branded as arrogant, out of touch and misguided 2 . The arts provide a powerful medium to improve the understanding of the experience of illness. Furthermore the understanding obtained is qualitatively different from that acquired in the traditional doctor-patient encounter. In addition medical humanities can create a space for doctors to reflect on their own practice and experiences. The benefits of using this space are illustrated with four examples of arts-based education delivered to groups of practitioners at different stages in their professional lives.Centres for medical humanities in medical education and training now exist in the Royal Free and University College Medical School, in Durham and in Swansea, and the opportunity to provide special study modules in humanities, as a result of the recommendations in Tomorrow's doctors 3 , has led to the development of a number of innovative and exciting courses 4,5 .Nevertheless, for many doctors not directly involved in this embryonic field, the question remains: exactly what has medical humanities to do with them and is it anything more than a nice way to spend the afternoon 6 ?Two educational objectives encompass much of what medical humanities purports to achieve. The first is to allow practitioners to reflect on their own thoughts, feelings, inclinations, practice and experience. This process of reflection offers them the opportunity to gain new insights into the strengths and weaknesses of their own practice 7 . The second objective is to allow practitioners further to appreciate the experience of illness by patients and their carers. This process is sometimes referred to as 'improving empathy' . One view of empathy as 'vicarious introspection' comes close to describing the way in which the arts can connect doctors and patients. Both objectives require practitioners to step outside their professional role and to think, feel and listen person-to-person, and not as 'professional' to their patient.
The Doer of GoodOscar Wilde's parable 'The Doer of Good' 8 portrays an unidentified figure who walks through a beautiful city encountering the beneficiaries of his good deeds. However, the restored functions of those he encounters are not being used as he would wish: the once blind man now uses his sight to ogle women; the man once lame now leads a wild and decadent life. Finally, the Doer of Good meets a weeping man and asks him why he weeps. The answer is 'For I was dead and you made me alive. What else should I do but weep?' I have used this piece with, amongst others, GP registrars who requested discussion of the ethical issues concerning consent. One such session took place in the week the interim Bristol report into organ retention was published 2 . Consent, duty of care and autonomy can seem rather theoretical subjects to idealistic young doctors who intend only to do go...