TY - JOUR
T1 - Transformative experiences at art museums to support flourishing in medicine
AU - Tackett, Sean
AU - Eller, Lauren
AU - Scharff, Samuel
AU - Balhara, Kamna S.
AU - Stouffer, Kaitlin M.
AU - Suchanek, Melissa
AU - Clever, Sarah L.
AU - Yenawine, Philip
AU - Wolffe, Suzy
AU - Chisolm, Margaret S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The work was supported by the The Paul McHugh Program for Human Flourishing.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Purpose: We implemented and evaluated a hybrid 4-week arts-based elective for clinical medical students to support flourishing. Materials and Methods: Five students participated in early 2022. Twelve sessions occurred in-person at art museums and other cultural centers, and five occurred online. Sessions incorporated varied arts-based learning activities, including Visual Thinking Strategies, a jazz seminar, and a mask-making workshop. We evaluated the course via weekly reflective essays, interviews 6 weeks after the course, and pre-post surveys that included four scales with clinical relevance: capacity for wonder (CfW), tolerance for ambiguity (TFA), interpersonal reactivity index, and openness to diversity. Results: Qualitatively, the course helped learners: 1) reconnect with individual characteristics and interests that had been neglected during medical education; 2) better appreciate others’ perspectives; 3) develop identities as physicians; and 4) engage in quiet reflection, renewing their sense of purpose. Quantitatively, pre-post mean totals increased for the CfW (32.0 [SD 6.8] vs 44.0 [SD 5.7], p=.006) and TFA scales (16.4 [SD 5.2] vs 24.2 [SD 6.9], p=.033). Conclusions: This elective facilitated learners’ connecting with themselves, others, and their profession with improvement in clinically-relevant measures. This provides further evidence that arts-based education can foster professional identity formation and be transformative for students.
AB - Purpose: We implemented and evaluated a hybrid 4-week arts-based elective for clinical medical students to support flourishing. Materials and Methods: Five students participated in early 2022. Twelve sessions occurred in-person at art museums and other cultural centers, and five occurred online. Sessions incorporated varied arts-based learning activities, including Visual Thinking Strategies, a jazz seminar, and a mask-making workshop. We evaluated the course via weekly reflective essays, interviews 6 weeks after the course, and pre-post surveys that included four scales with clinical relevance: capacity for wonder (CfW), tolerance for ambiguity (TFA), interpersonal reactivity index, and openness to diversity. Results: Qualitatively, the course helped learners: 1) reconnect with individual characteristics and interests that had been neglected during medical education; 2) better appreciate others’ perspectives; 3) develop identities as physicians; and 4) engage in quiet reflection, renewing their sense of purpose. Quantitatively, pre-post mean totals increased for the CfW (32.0 [SD 6.8] vs 44.0 [SD 5.7], p=.006) and TFA scales (16.4 [SD 5.2] vs 24.2 [SD 6.9], p=.033). Conclusions: This elective facilitated learners’ connecting with themselves, others, and their profession with improvement in clinically-relevant measures. This provides further evidence that arts-based education can foster professional identity formation and be transformative for students.
KW - Professional identity formation
KW - arts and humanities
KW - flourishing
KW - visual art
KW - wellness
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U2 - 10.1080/10872981.2023.2202914
DO - 10.1080/10872981.2023.2202914
M3 - Article
C2 - 37074677
AN - SCOPUS:85153123862
SN - 1087-2981
VL - 28
JO - Medical education online
JF - Medical education online
IS - 1
M1 - 2202914
ER -