Interdisciplinary Approaches to Medical Humanities: Art, Anatomy and Language

This symposium examines the teaching and learning of medical humanities at two Higher Education establishments, the University of Sechov, Russia and the University of St Andrews. The project at the University of Sechov developed from The Doctor as a Humanist symposium, an International conference devoted to looking into ways to reintroduce the humanities into medical education in a global context. The principal aim is to show how Medical English can be the catalyst for introducing critical topics related to medical education and doctor’s professional development. The project at the University of St Andrews stems from the understanding that the humanities should play a vital role in medical education as they provide students with the opportunity to explore a variety of ‘soft skills’ relating to aspects of the medical profession. One such example of integrating the humanities into the medicine curriculum, is through the comparative study of Art History and Anatomy. In this symposium we discuss the role of the medical humanities in medical education and the interface with intercultural and linguistic communication in medicine. Representatives from each institution will first provide an overview of the projects, followed by in-depth discussions on communal themes and questions and arising from these projects. The floor will then be opened to a plenary discussion