THE HEALER’S ART
The Institute for the Study of Health and
Illness
at Commonweal
A STUDENT SPEAKS…
“Medical school is deteriorating to the soul and
we desperately need skills that help us not only
survive the process, but grow as human
beings.
I am so grateful that The Healer’s Art was
created and that I was able to participate.”
HISTORY
• Developed by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
• Taught at UCSF School of Medicine since
1992
• Taught at 70 medical schools in USA, Canada,
Israel, Slovenia, Taiwan, Australia & India
• Research published in peer reviewed journals
and national media
ABOUT THE CURRICULUM
• Both pre-clinical and clinical elective formats
• Strengthens professional affiliation and identity
• Educational strategy based on the Discovery
Model
• Draws on theory from cognitive, humanistic,
Jungian and contemplative psychology
COURSE GOALS
• Create a community of shared values among
medical students, and between medical
students and faculty
• Protect against cynicism, depression and the
loss of commitment to service
• Develop the capacity to derive lifelong meaning
from medical practice
COURSE GOALS, cont.
• Provide students with tools for maintaining
personal and professional satisfaction
• Clarify professional values and commitment
• Validate self-reflection and self-care
• Remind faculty of their joy of teaching
UNDERLYING
EDUCATIONAL THEORIES
• Medical education informs and transforms
• Meaning and values underlie professional behavior
and commitment
• Integrating professionalism into personal identity
requires a safe learning environment
• Students enter medical school with a genuine
commitment to healing and service
• In a community of inquiry, students and faculty
make equally valuable contributions
COURSE STRUCTURE
The Healer’s Art Curriculum (2 formats):
• 15-hour elective for MS1 and MS2 students in
a five session format.
• 6-hour elective for MS3 and MS4 students in a
two session or day retreat format.
RESEARCH & EVALUATION
• Coordinated by the Center for the Study of The
Healer’s Art since 2005
• Directed by Michael W. Rabow, MD
mrabow@medicine.ucsf.edu
• Ongoing research and evaluation of national data
• Qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Longitudinal, and multi-institutional research
EVALUATION OUTCOMES
Analysis of 2003-4
National Course Evaluations
•
23 of 25 schools reporting
•
72% (489 of 680) of students reporting
•
50.1% (88 of 174) of faculty reporting
EVALUATION OUTCOMES
continued
• Students rated course quality as 4.47 on a 5-point scale
• Students and faculty reported important learnings NOT
available elsewhere in curriculum (4.59 and 4.76
respectively)
• Students reported using content from the course both
professionally (65.7%) and personally (73.3%)
• Faculty reported using content from the course both
professionally (75.0%) and personally (79.5%)
• Age, gender, medical school and school year not associated
with differences in evaluation of the course utility or
uniqueness.
STUDENTS EVALUATE
THE COURSE
THE HEALER’S ART:
“…helps us to remember what is important/what matters
most to us, and why we decided to become physicians
in the first place.”
“…is truly unlike any other class or small group
experience in medical school.”
“…provides a unique type of interaction between
students and faculty.”
MORE STUDENTS
EVALUATE THE COURSE
THE HEALER’S ART:
“…helps medical students not to forget their humanity
and themselves, not to forget the
part that makes you, you.”
“…taught me that practicing medicine can be a
process of continual growth and discovery.”
“…taught me how healing just listening can be.”
IMPLEMENTATION
• Grant supported and copyrighted
• Faculty training required before implementation
• Faculty Training Workshops and Resource Guides support
curriculum implementation
• Free ongoing consultation and support available
• An established and growing network of faculty and
associate deans
• For more information, contact ishi@commonweal.org or
visit www.ishiprograms.org
THE HEALER’S ART
www.ishiprograms.org