How Art Museums Can Foster the Flourishing of Future Physicians

Medical schools are increasingly incorporating the arts and humanities into their curricula, often emphasizing their benefits in enhancing students’ clinical skills. However, the potential for these curricula to foster flourishing is equally, if not more, crucial. Although limited in scope, current literature suggests that art museum-based medical education, particularly as Visual Thinking Strategies, may support flourishing among medical learners—although more research is needed to assess the impact of these methods and their mechanisms on learners. In this article, the authors explore how integrating art museum-based programs into medical school curricula can enhance all five domains of the VanderWeele model of human flourishing: physical and mental health, happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships.