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ART & MEDICINE

Art in Medicine at UIW

By Anna Rogalska

In order to become a physician, medical students fre-
quently draw into the notion that their lives should fully
and whole-heartedly become immersed in “science”.
Steering clear from the arts and humanities however will
not develop the physicians we need for tomorrow. Cer-
tainly, medical students need to master the pathologies of
the zebras they may never see and understand the trans-
porters of all the possible luminal interfaces. However, at
the end of their medical school journey, students will be
faced with patients who are individuals. These patients will
have their own narratives and they won’t be a textbook.
In order to be able to assess these patients and develop
the skills needed to think critically, medical students may
have to look beyond standard approaches. Students who
engage in artistic analysis and development may be able to
see their patients from a different perspective and benefit
from their outcomes. For example, when looking at a
painted portrait, if you take an extra moment to look at
the hues chosen by the artist or the brushstrokes, will you
come to learn more about the person under observation?
learning to analyze these details takes practice, creative
thinking and active conversation.
At UIWSOM, the Art in Medicine organization seeks
to build well-rounded physicians who are nurtured
through creativity. From a hands-on approach, our stu-
dents do charcoal drawing classes of the human anatomy
with models. At the same time, they go to the McNay Art
Museum where they look at art work and push the bound-
aries by asking questions. What is the diagnosis of the pa-
tient in the painting? What was the artist thinking? Why is
there an object that doesn’t belong in the composition?
With subsequent exposures to this type of critical thinking
the brain learns to approach problems in our daily lives
differently.
The way medical students analyze art can positively in-
fluence the patients of these future physicians. They will
have refined observation, explorative thinking and indi-
vidualized attention. As we strive to build medical profes-
sionals with these qualities, we should remember to
welcome the arts and humanities as they have much to
offer for the betterment of the medical profession.

14 San Antonio Medicine • June 2019