Humanities and Social Sciences in Medical Education

Abstract

Medicine has often been described as an art rather than a science, but until relatively recently it was assumed that these arts would be “learned” rather than “taught” in medical education [1]. Enlightened approaches to modern curricula mean that the humanities and social sciences are increasingly recognized as playing a role in preparing medical students to become skilled, thoughtful and well-rounded practitioners. These areas of study help medical students and practitioners to tune in to the human condition in all its diversity and complexity. This applies not only to their understanding of the patient's experience with regard to health, illness and medical care, but also to the formation of their own professional identity, including their well-being through the development of skills such as reflection, awareness and resilience [2, 3].