International Health Humanities Network Membership

Humanities Enhancing the Art of Learning (HEAL)

Purpose: Throughout the course of medical education, students participate in circumstances that strain the boundaries of human-experience. The traditional coping mechanism of professional-detachment is insufficient to nurture the full complex emotional/spiritual plurality of the medical students who began.

Humanities Enhancing the Art of Learning (HEAL) is a student-initiative within the University of Ottawa working to develop the narrative arts component of formative medical education. Our aim is to empower medical students to find and give expression to their own voice as a source of strength and healing.

Methods: Our program represents the student-led arm of a comprehensive inter-linked humanities curriculum at the University of Ottawa. Our partners include: the faculty-led Humanities and Medicine Committee, the Arts in Medicine Interest Group, the University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine, the Faculty of Medicine's Aboriginal Program, and our Faculty's Artist in Residence initiative.

Future Challenges: There is a strongly identified need for enriched humanities exposure in medical training; aside from the numerous pedagogic outcome benefits, including enhanced communication and empathy, it also promotes wellness and healing.

We are fortunate that our medical school formally recognizes the benefit of humanities training. We feel it's very important that there be a component which is student-driven and run; as the expressive arts will serve a crucial contribution to wellness amongst medical trainees

www.facebook.com/healmeded