When Doctors do Improv: Arts in Medicine
April 14th, 2026
This is part two of a series by Mayo Clinic on the importance of arts based health practices. This episode features two conversations moderated by Kristen Meinzer with Dr. Shelley Noland and Tane Danger, respectively.
Posted byBarak Reibman
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Abstract/Description
What if your doctor prescribed a poem? What if the surgeon removing your tumor took an improv course?
On this episode of Health Matters, we continue our conversation about the intersection of arts and medicine. First, Dr. Shelley Noland—a hand and peripheral nerve surgeon and Medical Director of the Center for Humanities in Medicine—joins us to explore what the science actually says about the healing power of the arts. Then, we talk with Tane Danger, artist-in-residence at Mayo Clinic, about how he’s using improv to help doctors deliver better care.
On this episode of Health Matters, we continue our conversation about the intersection of arts and medicine. First, Dr. Shelley Noland—a hand and peripheral nerve surgeon and Medical Director of the Center for Humanities in Medicine—joins us to explore what the science actually says about the healing power of the arts. Then, we talk with Tane Danger, artist-in-residence at Mayo Clinic, about how he’s using improv to help doctors deliver better care.