Teaching and learning medical humanities in medical school: a student's perspective on professional practice curriculum in Australia.

Abstract

The growing integration of the medical humanities in medical school curricula highlights its importance in the development of culturally safe, patient-centred clinicians. Internationally, medical schools attempt to increase student engagement through course electives, different modes of assessment and diverse content delivery. At the University of Melbourne, the Professional Practice program aims to provide an easy, engaging way of exposing students to the medical humanities, including reflective practice, collaborative practice, leadership, advocacy, professional identity formation, medical ethics and law. However, students' perceptions of the medical humanities may prevent desired outcomes from being reached. We discuss the student experience of the Professional Practice curriculum through a collaboration between a student, tutor and course designers focusing on student engagement and perspectives of the program. Overall, students felt uncomfortable with the flexibility and ambiguity of the medical humanities when compared to the rigidity of biomedical knowledge. Additionally, modes of assessment typically used in the humanities such as reflective writing were found to be unpopular. Students' involvement in the co-facilitation of classes helped develop communication skills and leadership but overall participation was still dependent on individual factors. Ultimately, the medical school and student body must work together to develop a medical humanities curriculum that is both complementary and viewed as of equal importance to the clinical curriculum.