‘The Play’s the Thing’ Among Other Innovations: The Establishment of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Medical Humanities Program and Its Incorporation of Medical Humanities Into Medical Education
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Arthur R. Derse
This article describes the development and long-term integration of the Medical College of Wisconsin's Medical Humanities Program. The article highlights how the humanities- including literature, ethics, history, visual arts, and theater- can strengthen empathy, professionalism, communication, and reflective practice in medical education.
Wisconsin Medical Journal
Posted bySarah Pearl
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Abstract/Description
This historical perspective chronicles the creation and evolution of the Medical College of Wisconsin's (MCW) Medical Humanities Program, established in 2006 in response to growing recognition that effective physician training requires more than scientific and technical expertise. Drawing on two decades of experience, the article describes how the program intentionally integrates literature, ethics, philosophy, history, visual arts, narrative medicine, theater, and other humanities disciplines into undergraduate medical education to foster empathy, professionalism, communication, critical thinking, and self-reflection among future physicians.
The author outlines the program's development through both curricular and extracurricular initiatives, including required and elective courses, scholarly concentrations, artistic performances, discussion forums, and experiential learning opportunities. A central example is the use of dramatic works, such as Homo Ex Machina, to engage students in complex ethical discussions surrounding personhood, informed consent, identity, and emerging medical technologies. Rather than relying solely on traditional lectures, these humanities-based approaches encourage students to examine the human experience of illness, grapple with ambiguity, and cultivate deeper emotional awareness and ethical reasoning.
The article concludes that sustained institutional investment in the medical humanities can successfully embed these disciplines into medical education, creating a learning environment that complements scientific training with compassionate, patient-centered care. After nearly twenty years, MCW's Medical Humanities Program demonstrates that integrating the humanities throughout the curriculum helps prepare physicians who are not only clinically competent but also empathetic, reflective, and responsive to the complex social, ethical, and emotional dimensions of healthcare.
The author outlines the program's development through both curricular and extracurricular initiatives, including required and elective courses, scholarly concentrations, artistic performances, discussion forums, and experiential learning opportunities. A central example is the use of dramatic works, such as Homo Ex Machina, to engage students in complex ethical discussions surrounding personhood, informed consent, identity, and emerging medical technologies. Rather than relying solely on traditional lectures, these humanities-based approaches encourage students to examine the human experience of illness, grapple with ambiguity, and cultivate deeper emotional awareness and ethical reasoning.
The article concludes that sustained institutional investment in the medical humanities can successfully embed these disciplines into medical education, creating a learning environment that complements scientific training with compassionate, patient-centered care. After nearly twenty years, MCW's Medical Humanities Program demonstrates that integrating the humanities throughout the curriculum helps prepare physicians who are not only clinically competent but also empathetic, reflective, and responsive to the complex social, ethical, and emotional dimensions of healthcare.
