Medical Humanities

Dr. Navjeevan Singh, Professor of Pathology,

University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi).
Delhi 110 095

Medical humanities’ (MH) is an inter-disciplinary way of looking at medicine through the lens of
philosophy, theology, art, history, literature, anthropology, and other humanities subjects. We need
doctors who will respond sensitively to both the physical and the emotional needs of their patients.
The doctor must consider the patient as a whole; in equal measure, doctors must engage with
patients with all of themselves – their minds, their hearts and their emotions – engage as persons
who are able not only to heal, but also to feel and think, explain and understand and cope.

Medical students in India are focused from an early age on science subjects; this hasty dissociation
from the humanities stream results in an unbalanced world-view. With the ever-expanding
curriculum in medical education, students end up being actively trained in the core curriculum of
diagnostics and therapeutics while important attitudinal skills such as behaviour, communication,
empathy and ethics and understanding cultural diversity remain unaddressed.

A variety of interventions comprising history, literature, various forms of theater - such as street
theater and Augusto Boal's 'theater of the oppressed', - film, poetry, graphic medicine, and disability
studies to help health professionals explore health and illness from multiple perspectives, that of the
health care-provider, of the health seeker, and of the care-giver can be developed.

Through sharing illness narratives doctors can become aware of the range of experiences resulting
from illnesses; they can begin to see the patient’s view-point; through the social sciences they can
learn about cultural and personal circumstances and beliefs that impact health care practices. Such
awareness is expected to result in fostering empathy, which, in turn, can lead to the doctor learning
the importance of providing a safe environment in which patients can communicate freely and
effectively.

Exposing the medical fraternity to art, dance, theater, and films are known to bring about attitudinal
change by enhancing skills which are important for healers. Music for dance, and music per se,
have been known to help medical practitioners in the fields of cognitive functioning and emotional
development. Being a good doctor not only entails mastery of medical skills and keeping abreast of
medical developments; what is required is much more than mere academic and professional
excellence. It is also about being aware of one's own limitations, and of having the right attitude,
character, aptitude, commitment and demeanour; and above all, a heart that is sensitive,
compassionate and understanding.
The development of tools that allow better - better in the sense that they are culturally relevant and
guided by reflective and experiential practice - engagement between patients and medical
practitioners have been shown to hone communication skills, judgment, professionalism, and
reflective practice. The six years since the launch of the Medical Humanities Group at the
University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, have been both challenging and rewarding. In this
session we shall attempt to share some of the tools of MH that we have used during this time.