'The Play's the Thing' Among Other Innovations: The Establishment of the Medical College of Wisconsin's Medical Humanities Program and Its Incorporation of Medical Humanities Into Medical Education.

Abstract

Background: Leading organizations have recognized that medical schools need greater incorporation of the medical humanities to educate physicians. The Medical College of Wisconsin's (MCW) Medical Humanities Program, established in 2006, is dedicated to professionalism, communication, empathy, and reflection.

Objectives: This article describes the establishment of MCW's Medical Humanities Program and its incorporation of medical humanities into medical education.

Methods: Medical humanities are defined, with examples provided, and the history of their development at the MCW and their incorporation into the curriculum over 2 decades is chronicled.

Results: Medical humanities have been successfully incorporated into the curriculum, including 2 courses offered for more than 2 decades and 2 additional courses incorporated for more than 7 years. Longstanding extracurricular offerings further strengthen the medical humanities academic environment.

Conclusions: MCW's Medical Humanities Program - through its incorporated courses and extracurricular offerings -has established medical humanities as a pillar of the medical school curriculum and, after 2 decades, continues to flourish.