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Multiple ingredients and not just spoonful of humanities

2014; Medknow; Volume: 6; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4103/0974-7796.130665

0974-7834

Satendra Singh,

Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills

Sir, The pedagogical experimentation of introducing medical humanities (MH) in the medical curriculum is a laudable effort.[1] Though West has developed many MH curricula, its inception in East has been quite poor. Moreover, we need to look at Asian MH programs and how best to incorporate their best features. In the review mentioned above, two students suggested inviting scholars from outside in the feedback. This has been the standard practice of our MH lecture series-Confluence.[2] We always invite scholar from outside, preferably a non-medical, so that our medical students can imbibe their wider perspective from a non-medical angle. Till now, we have invited a yogic proponent, a fearless rationalist, a linguist, noted journalist, and a visually impaired role model.[23] Ours was the first medical institution in India to start an MH course.[45] Over the years, we realized that a multipronged approach is needed to achieve the vision of inculcating compassion among medical students. Accordingly, we have a lecture series (Confluence), street theater group, film screenings, exploration of Indian culture (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth [SPIC MACAY]), Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed workshops, disability studies (Infinite Ability), Graphic Medicine club (Comicos), transdisciplinary Blind With Camera workshop, and an environmental lobby (Gang-green). In short, multiple ingredients are needed to attract medical student's attention and not just a spoonful of humanities.