Abstract
Medical humanities has become a third area of medical education following basic and clinical medicine. Also, in the national evaluation of medical schools, medical humanities education is an important factor. However, there are many difficulties in teaching medical humanities in medical schools. First, it is still an unfamiliar education area to medical schools and professors. Second, still, there is no consensus on the definition and contents of this education. Third, it is usually very difficult to find professors who have interest and the ability to teach medical humanities. Fourth, even medical students do not understand why they should study medical humanities and sometimes do not eagerly participate in class. This paper suggests some solutions for these problems. First, medical humanities need to be divided into sections according to how easily the contents can be accepted by existing medical education system and apply these sections in the introduction of this education gradually and in stage. One example of the division can be as follows: Group 1) medical ethics and medical law which can be most easily accepted. Group 2) medical communication skills which can be relatively easily accepted. Group 3) medical history and medical professionalism which is relatively difficult to accept, and Group 4) medical philosophy, medicine and music, medicine and literature, medicine and art, medicine and religion, etc. which is the most difficult to accept. In this paper, four things are suggested. Second, divide the contents into mendatory courses and elective courses. Third, allocate the contents throughout the four years from the first year though the fourth year according to the spiral curriculum model. This paper reports some new ideas and methods for medical humanities education. First, to stimulate students' participation, several methods were applied in a large size lecture and student projects. Second, the emphasis of writing in class and evaluation were discussed. Third, the provision of hands on experience is more emphasized than lectures. Fourth, inviting some doctors who work in non-medical areas such as journalism, pharmaceutical industry, etc is suggested. Trial and error is inevitable in this education, but it is essential in molding a good doctor, so medical professors who are interested or in charge of this medical humanities education need to share their ideas and experiences.
