16. Using Humanities and Art to Teach Medical Professionalism

Abstract

　It is said that “medicine is an art based on science,” but education in the art is not well practiced in medical education in Japan compared to education in the science. In a survey of medical students in the U.S., medical students who were exposed to literature, music, theater, visual arts, and other humanities had better empathy, emotional evaluation, and self-efficacy1). Medical humanities education, which is practiced mainly in Europe and the United States, is value education with humanities subjects to overcome dehumanizing medical practices, medical students and medical professionals, and to cultivate professionalism in physicians, such as humanity and altruism. This article focuses on “philosophical dialogue” and “improv” as practical examples of arts education in medicine in Japan that use the humanities and the arts to teach professionalism.