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Visual Art + Medicine 7753

How does contemplating a painting at the Weisman Art Museum, or sketching a painting of one’s own, help a future doctor prepare for a life in medicine? Maren Olson, M.D., loves that question.

“There’s good research that shows that people who engage with art are more empathetic and make for better physicians,” says Olson, associate professor of pediatric and hospital medicine and director of the Center for the Art of Medicine. The Center launched in 2020 with a mission to help med students combine their analytical left brains with their creative right brains.

Led by Olson and Ben Trappey, M.D., associate professor of medicine and pediatrics, and creative director Jon Hallberg, M.D., the Center includes storytelling programs, student awards, documentary films, and most recently, a course titled Visual Art + Medicine in collaboration with the Weisman Art Museum.

“We’ve had many students say that when they came to medical school, they thought they had to give up this part of who they are,” Olson said. “To be in a place where artistic endeavors are valued and encouraged helps them realize that they can bring that part of themselves to medicine.”

Having an acclaimed museum like the Weisman on campus helps. “The Weisman conducts workshops with students using visual-thinking strategies, which can build attention to detail and empathy,” said Olson.

Visual Art + Medicine encourages active participation. It includes hands-on work with a ceramicist, where students use clay to slow their motions down and learn through touch, and color-based experiences that deepen listening skills and presence.

It’s just one of many courses offered through the Center’s curriculum. There’s a reflective writing class and a course called Reading the Social Determinants of Health, which is taught by a faculty member in the Department of Surgery, who has a Ph.D. in English.

Many medical school have some kind of medical humanity center where students engage with the arts. But the U is different in how much it encourages students to create works themselves, which it hopes sparks a lifelong practice. The Center offers the Fisch Art of Medicine and John Song Student Awards, both supporting medical students doing some kind of arts-related endeavor, such as painting classes, dance classes, or building furniture.

“We just had our first cohort graduate after completing this arts and medicine concentration,” Olson said. “I had multiple people say to me, ‘This was the highlight of my medical school experience.’”

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