The medical humanities – How far have we come?
Submitted: 5 July 2024
Accepted: 25 November 2024
Published online:1 April, TAPS 2025, 10(2)
Eng Koon Ong1-4,7 & Wen Shan Sim4-6
1Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; 2Office of Medical Humanities, SingHealth Medicine Academic Clinical Programme, Singapore; 3Division of Cancer Education, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; 4Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore; 5Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore; 6PGY1 Programme, SingHealth, Singapore; 7Assisi Hospice, Singapore
Abstract
Introduction: The medical humanities (MH) have the potential to support medical education (ME) by developing observational skills, promote reflective practice and transformative growth. However, contextual content and methods relevant to our local and regional learners and teachers are lacking.
Methods: We describe three MH-based ME programmes within SingHealth to illustrate our considerations in the choice of conceptual frameworks and content selection in programme development and evaluation.
Results: Highlighting pertinent challenges in developing the field due to poor awareness, lack of resources and research capability, we emphasise the importance of interdisciplinarity, engaging leadership, and generating research output. Broad strategies to achieve these goals are then presented.
Conclusion: Highlighting challenges due to the lack of awareness, administrative and funding support, and research capability, we propose strategies to overcome such barriers and hope that readers will be inspired to contribute to this developing landscape where science and art intersect.
Announcements
- Best Reviewer Awards 2024
TAPS would like to express gratitude and thanks to an extraordinary group of reviewers who are awarded the Best Reviewer Awards for 2024.
Refer here for the list of recipients. - Most Accessed Article 2024
The Most Accessed Article of 2024 goes to Persons with Disabilities (PWD) as patient educators: Effects on medical student attitudes.
Congratulations, Dr Vivien Lee and co-authors! - Best Article Award 2024
The Best Article Award of 2024 goes to Achieving Competency for Year 1 Doctors in Singapore: Comparing Night Float or Traditional Call.
Congratulations, Dr Tan Mae Yue and co-authors! - Fourth Thematic Issue: Call for Submissions
The Asia Pacific Scholar is now calling for submissions for its Fourth Thematic Publication on “Developing a Holistic Healthcare Practitioner for a Sustainable Future”!
The Guest Editors for this Thematic Issue are A/Prof Marcus Henning and Adj A/Prof Mabel Yap. For more information on paper submissions, check out here! - Best Reviewer Awards 2023
TAPS would like to express gratitude and thanks to an extraordinary group of reviewers who are awarded the Best Reviewer Awards for 2023.
Refer here for the list of recipients. - Most Accessed Article 2023
The Most Accessed Article of 2023 goes to Small, sustainable, steps to success as a scholar in Health Professions Education – Micro (macro and meta) matters.
Congratulations, A/Prof Goh Poh-Sun & Dr Elisabeth Schlegel! - Best Article Award 2023
The Best Article Award of 2023 goes to Increasing the value of Community-Based Education through Interprofessional Education.
Congratulations, Dr Tri Nur Kristina and co-authors! - Volume 9 Number 1 of TAPS is out now! Click on the Current Issue to view our digital edition.
- Best Reviewer Awards 2022
TAPS would like to express gratitude and thanks to an extraordinary group of reviewers who are awarded the Best Reviewer Awards for 2022.
Refer here for the list of recipients. - Most Accessed Article 2022
The Most Accessed Article of 2022 goes to An urgent need to teach complexity science to health science students.
Congratulations, Dr Bhuvan KC and Dr Ravi Shankar. - Best Article Award 2022
The Best Article Award of 2022 goes to From clinician to educator: A scoping review of professional identity and the influence of impostor phenomenon.
Congratulations, Ms Freeman and co-authors. - Volume 8 Number 3 of TAPS is out now! Click on the Current Issue to view our digital edition.
- Best Reviewer Awards 2021
TAPS would like to express gratitude and thanks to an extraordinary group of reviewers who are awarded the Best Reviewer Awards for 2021.
Refer here for the list of recipients. - Most Accessed Article 2021
The Most Accessed Article of 2021 goes to Professional identity formation-oriented mentoring technique as a method to improve self-regulated learning: A mixed-method study.
Congratulations, Assoc/Prof Matsuyama and co-authors. - Best Reviewer Awards 2020
TAPS would like to express gratitude and thanks to an extraordinary group of reviewers who are awarded the Best Reviewer Awards for 2020.
Refer here for the list of recipients. - Most Accessed Article 2020
The Most Accessed Article of 2020 goes to Inter-related issues that impact motivation in biomedical sciences graduate education. Congratulations, Dr Chen Zhi Xiong and co-authors.
