Humanities in medicine: preparing for practice

As medical curriculum continues to experience a renaissance into the twenty first century, there comes to birth a variety of seeded programmes in which there is no concrete definition for what is termed humanities in medicine. However, while the humanities continues to play an integral role in medicine, alongside the publication of numerous articles published by medical journals, medical institutions have tailored related programmes intended to support students’ learning about the social and cultural contexts of health, illness, and medical care. Others have defined a broader paradigm to include history, philosophy, literature, and arts. Though there is much versatility in these programmes, the expected outcomes have been collectively agreed upon. This article highlights three primary domains for why humanities should be incorporated into medical circular and the training of ‘tomorrow’s doctors’. Firstly, according to the Association for Medical Humanities, the study of humanities contributes to the development of students’ and practitioners’ capacity to listen, interpret, and communicate, while fostering an appreciation for the ethical dimensions of practice [1]. This places more focus on the patient as a whole, assessing both objective and subjective experiences of illness and health. For example, by understanding the subjective nature of an individual’s behavioural patterns, a doctor could find it beneficial to under-prescribe. The study of humanities may assist in nurturing students in becoming more insightful, reflective, and hopefully more influential in shaping the course of health care. This degree of