Medical students watch and discuss films about illness experiences. Physical therapy students observe visual art to build observational/analytical skills that transfer to the clinic. Pharmacy students read a book written from the patient perspective and discuss it in small groups. Nursing students write reflectively about hospice experiences. Interprofessional students analyze health brochures to think about health literacy and team-based approaches to communication.
These activities reflect the health or medical humanities in action. At an academic health science center like MUSC, humanities content complements basic science content - and can be easily incorporated into science-focused or professionalism courses.
This guide provides resources for MUSC students, teachers, scholars, and researchers seeking to know more about health or medical humanities. Because this discipline is closely related to the fields of narrative medicine and arts in health care, definitions of these practices are included to provide a holistic view of the relationship between the arts, humanities, and health.