Art historian Amy Herman suggests that art—especially looking at and understanding fine art—can help us become better problem solvers. Art can help us increase our visual intelligence. And in turn helps us in our daily lives to ask ourselves better questions about what it is we really “see” in every situation. (See Amy Herman’s Ted Talk about this).
Several medical schools offer courses that give students a chance to refine their observation skills, and in turn their diagnostic skills, by studying visual art. First-year medical students in the “Art, Observation, and Empathy” course at the Perelman School of Medicine at U. Penn make many visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as they build their observation and clinical skills through art.
There has been a growing recognition that studying the arts and humanities may help learners develop qualities such as professionalism, self-awareness, and communication skills that are increasingly important for physicians. In fact, the AAMC has a program—Fundamental Role of Arts and Humanities in Medical Education (FRAHME)—that provides resources to help medical educators start, develop, or improve the use of arts and humanities in their teaching.
------------------------------
David Skorton
President and CEO
Association of American Medical Colleges
------------------------------