The author makes the case for why the study of humanities is necessary for a complete medical education. Humanistic study helps to answer questions that are essential to being a “good” doctor, such as “how best to support a patient who is dying. Do you cry with the patient? Is it acceptable to be detached? Is it OK to resume your life and laugh a few hours later?” Humanistic study also helps physicians appreciate social determinants of health. The article also provides statistics on medical humanities programs, med school acceptance rates for students with humanities background, correlations between humanities background and positive and negative physician attributes, and patterns of residency choices.
The essay could be used as an introductory reading in a medical humanities course.
Access
- Link: https://psmag.com/education/be-a-good-doctor-study-the-humanities
Details
Language: English
Type of Story: Newspaper or Magazine
Medium: written
Contributed by: Health Story Hub Team ( health-storyhub@uiowa.edu )
Citation:
Patel, A. (2018, May 22). To be a good doctor, study the humanities. Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/education/be-a-good-doctor-study-the-humanities