Integrating Arts and Humanities Into Surgical Education: A Novel Curriculum for Facial Analysis Training

Objective

The transition to independent surgical practice requires not only technical proficiency but also finely tuned observational skills and patient-centered communication, areas that may receive less emphasis in traditional training. This study introduces From Canvas to Clinic (FCC), a structured curriculum designed to explicitly cultivate visual literacy and diagnostic reasoning in oral and maxillofacial surgery trainees.

Design

Implemented as a 6-week longitudinal course, FCC integrates Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), progressive drawing exercises, and clinical application through structured facial analysis. Each session combines seminar-style discussion, VTS-facilitated peer analysis, aesthetic practice, and diagnostic exercises anchored in patient-based cases. Learning is scaffolded through a multimodal framework and captured in a comprehensive processfolio documenting metacognitive and clinical growth.

Results

Preliminary findings indicate improvements in observational acuity, visual recall, clinical reasoning, and empathetic engagement. Assessment tools, including Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS), Chart-Simulated Recall (CSR), structured sketch assignments, and formal exams demonstrated significant learner gains across knowledge, skills, and attitude domains. Participants reported greater diagnostic confidence and cited specific techniques, such as grid use and slow looking, as transformative to their clinical practice.

Conclusions

FCC repositions facial analysis as a deliberately taught core skill in surgical training, blending artistic inquiry with clinical rigor, providing a replicable model that balances technical precision with humanistic understanding essential for comprehensive patient care in maxillofacial surgery.