Claire Hooker1. 1. Medical Humanities Program, Centre for Values, Ethics and Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, New South Wales. med.usyd.edu.au
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The medical humanities is a broad area of study and practice encompassing all nontechnical or 'human' aspects of medicine. OBJECTIVE: This article introduces a series in the medical humanities in Australian Family Physician. DISCUSSION: The medical humanities serve three main goals: the study of the human aspects of medicine from within traditional arts disciplines of history, philosophy, sociology and literature; the intersection of medicine and the creative arts; and the training of more insightful and compassionate doctors. This article briefly explores these three goals and discusses their value for the medical community.
BACKGROUND: The medical humanities is a broad area of study and practice encompassing all nontechnical or 'human' aspects of medicine. OBJECTIVE: This article introduces a series in the medical humanities in Australian Family Physician. DISCUSSION: The medical humanities serve three main goals: the study of the human aspects of medicine from within traditional arts disciplines of history, philosophy, sociology and literature; the intersection of medicine and the creative arts; and the training of more insightful and compassionate doctors. This article briefly explores these three goals and discusses their value for the medical community.