Medicine and the Art of Seeing

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Published: May 11, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v6i1.1309

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Leah Natalie Rosetti
University of Ottawa

Abstract

This Humanities in Medicine article is an examination of the use of formal fine arts training in medical curricula to enhance diagnos­tic skills. A great amount can be discerned about pathology and pathophysiology using visual cues. Conventional medical education stresses the importance of physical diagnostic skills but often omits explicit teaching on how to methodically observe for information that could be useful for diagnosis. The current curriculum could be greatly complimented by the study of fine arts, which deals directly with the careful observation, description, and interpretation of the visual world.

 

Cet article sur la médecine et les humanités est un aperçu sur la pertinence d’incorporer une formation formelle des beaux-arts dans le curriculum médical afin d’optimiser l’habileté des cliniciens à poser un bon diagnostic. L’utilisation de repères visuels est d’une grande utilité pour discerner la pathologie et la physiopathologie de différentes maladies. L’éducation médicale conventionnelle souligne l’importance de l’examen physique lorsqu’on doit poser un diagnostic, mais néglige parfois l’enseignement d’une approche méthodique qui utilise activement l’observation afin de repérer des informations qui pourraient être très utiles dans le diagnostic d’un patient. Le curriculum actuel pourrait très bien incorporer l’étude des beaux-arts, car celle-ci implique une observation, une descrip­tion et une interprétation du monde visuel qui nous entoure.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 6 No. 1: Preventative and Personalized Medicine
Section
Humanities
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Author Biography

Leah Natalie Rosetti, University of Ottawa

University of Ottawa

MD Candidate

Class of 2017

References

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