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How an Aesthete’s Eye Can Help a Doctor’s Hand How an Aesthete’s Eye Can Help a Doctor’s Hand
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For eight years, Bonnie Pitman has been battling a rare, incurable lung infection. Frequent hospitalizations took such a toll on her that she had to step down from her dream job as director of the Dallas Museum of Art, and she uses a breathing apparatus to open her airways several times a day.For eight years, Bonnie Pitman has been battling a rare, incurable lung infection. Frequent hospitalizations took such a toll on her that she had to step down from her dream job as director of the Dallas Museum of Art, and she uses a breathing apparatus to open her airways several times a day.
Some might find her condition utterly discouraging. But in days filled with medical care, Ms. Pitman has found uplift from art, leading her to redirect her more than 40 years of experience as a museum educator and leader toward extending the influence of art on the practice of medicine.Some might find her condition utterly discouraging. But in days filled with medical care, Ms. Pitman has found uplift from art, leading her to redirect her more than 40 years of experience as a museum educator and leader toward extending the influence of art on the practice of medicine.
“The hardest part of being chronically ill is that you’re not in control of your body,” Ms. Pitman said. “But you can control your spirit.”“The hardest part of being chronically ill is that you’re not in control of your body,” Ms. Pitman said. “But you can control your spirit.”
Ms. Pitman is widely viewed as a galvanizing force in the fledgling — and still debated — field of medical humanities programs, which promote the close observation of artworks as a way of improving the clinical diagnostic skills of medical students. Collaborations between doctors and art educators have multiplied in recent years, despite lingering skepticism from people in both professions.Ms. Pitman is widely viewed as a galvanizing force in the fledgling — and still debated — field of medical humanities programs, which promote the close observation of artworks as a way of improving the clinical diagnostic skills of medical students. Collaborations between doctors and art educators have multiplied in recent years, despite lingering skepticism from people in both professions.
For the last two years, Ms. Pitman has taught an observation course in partnership with a doctor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and with educators at the Dallas Museum, where she resigned as director in 2011. And after researching the range of such collaborations nationwide, Ms. Pitman brought together 130 educators and doctors involved in 60 programs to share their teaching strategies and evaluation methods at a conference she organized in June at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For the last two years, Ms. Pitman has taught an observation course in partnership with a doctor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and with educators at the Dallas Museum of Art, where she resigned as director in 2011. And after researching the range of such collaborations nationwide, Ms. Pitman brought together 130 educators and doctors involved in 60 programs to share their teaching strategies and evaluation methods at a conference she organized in June at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
She has just published a report on the forum on the website of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas at Dallas, along with recommendations for the future, descriptions of the 60 programs, sample syllabuses and an extensive bibliography. (Ms. Pitman is a distinguished scholar in residence at the institute, which financed the MoMA conference.) It is the first broad database on these medical humanities programs.She has just published a report on the forum on the website of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas at Dallas, along with recommendations for the future, descriptions of the 60 programs, sample syllabuses and an extensive bibliography. (Ms. Pitman is a distinguished scholar in residence at the institute, which financed the MoMA conference.) It is the first broad database on these medical humanities programs.
“It’s a launching pad,” Ms. Pitman said. “I see this as one of the most important changes in the way art museums can interact with their publics and that medical schools can utilize community resources.”“It’s a launching pad,” Ms. Pitman said. “I see this as one of the most important changes in the way art museums can interact with their publics and that medical schools can utilize community resources.”
Addressing the gathering at MoMA on the first morning, Ms. Pitman spoke of how more sophisticated imaging techniques, lab tests and computers have diminished direct observational interaction between doctors and patients. “In my very extensive time in the hospital, residents using iPads would interview me and leave and never even look at me in the eye,” she said.Addressing the gathering at MoMA on the first morning, Ms. Pitman spoke of how more sophisticated imaging techniques, lab tests and computers have diminished direct observational interaction between doctors and patients. “In my very extensive time in the hospital, residents using iPads would interview me and leave and never even look at me in the eye,” she said.
Dr. Bhavika Kaul, who took an observation course as a student and now jointly teaches it at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, credited art observation with helping her catch a patient’s misdiagnosis during her residency. “When I walked in the room, the first thing I noticed was the patient, who had been in the hospital without sun exposure, was 10 shades darker than her family members,” she said. “I immediately diagnosed her with adrenal insufficiency.”Dr. Bhavika Kaul, who took an observation course as a student and now jointly teaches it at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, credited art observation with helping her catch a patient’s misdiagnosis during her residency. “When I walked in the room, the first thing I noticed was the patient, who had been in the hospital without sun exposure, was 10 shades darker than her family members,” she said. “I immediately diagnosed her with adrenal insufficiency.”
“The course had taught me to see beyond just the vital signs and the labs,” she recalled.“The course had taught me to see beyond just the vital signs and the labs,” she recalled.
The first such course was created in 1999 at Yale, where medical students began undergoing training in close observation at the Yale Center for British Art, followed by an analysis of medical images. “Both activities illustrate a variety of cognitive and visual features that serve as paradigms for evaluating patients,” said Dr. Irwin Braverman of the Yale School of Medicine, who, with his Yale museum partner Linda Friedlaender, published the positive results of a controlled study in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2001.The first such course was created in 1999 at Yale, where medical students began undergoing training in close observation at the Yale Center for British Art, followed by an analysis of medical images. “Both activities illustrate a variety of cognitive and visual features that serve as paradigms for evaluating patients,” said Dr. Irwin Braverman of the Yale School of Medicine, who, with his Yale museum partner Linda Friedlaender, published the positive results of a controlled study in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2001.
That article inspired Dr. Joel Katz to propose a similar course at Harvard Medical School. “It was rejected,” said Dr. Katz, who said he was told by the curriculum committee that it would be embarrassing. He taught the class outside the official curriculum at first and generated data showing that observing art did, in fact, improve students’ diagnostic abilities. Now, “Training the Eye,” taught with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is an established first-year Harvard elective. The latest trend is for classes to address issues of teamwork, empathy, burnout and tolerance for ambiguity.That article inspired Dr. Joel Katz to propose a similar course at Harvard Medical School. “It was rejected,” said Dr. Katz, who said he was told by the curriculum committee that it would be embarrassing. He taught the class outside the official curriculum at first and generated data showing that observing art did, in fact, improve students’ diagnostic abilities. Now, “Training the Eye,” taught with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is an established first-year Harvard elective. The latest trend is for classes to address issues of teamwork, empathy, burnout and tolerance for ambiguity.
Ms. Pitman mapped out the second day of her conference around interactive teaching demonstrations in the galleries at MoMA, the Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At MoMA, Dr. Katz led an exercise intended to improve communication in patients’ medical teams.Ms. Pitman mapped out the second day of her conference around interactive teaching demonstrations in the galleries at MoMA, the Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At MoMA, Dr. Katz led an exercise intended to improve communication in patients’ medical teams.
Participants were asked to find a work of art that reflected a professional or personal value that they held dear and to share the stories with one another as they moved between artworks like a medical team on rounds. “It opens up conversations that might not happen in the context of the hospital, moments of connection and commonality,” said Corinne Zimmerman, Dr. Katz’s partner from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.Participants were asked to find a work of art that reflected a professional or personal value that they held dear and to share the stories with one another as they moved between artworks like a medical team on rounds. “It opens up conversations that might not happen in the context of the hospital, moments of connection and commonality,” said Corinne Zimmerman, Dr. Katz’s partner from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Ray Williams, education director at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Tex., offered a concrete example of how a visit to the museum might counter the erosion of empathy. He showed a slide of an ancient Greek gravestone carved with the image of a little girl named Melisto. He said he would prompt students “to imagine what might Melisto’s parents have said to one another in the weeks after this devastating loss, and write it down in one sentence.”Ray Williams, education director at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Tex., offered a concrete example of how a visit to the museum might counter the erosion of empathy. He showed a slide of an ancient Greek gravestone carved with the image of a little girl named Melisto. He said he would prompt students “to imagine what might Melisto’s parents have said to one another in the weeks after this devastating loss, and write it down in one sentence.”
Many doctors spoke of the continuing difficulty of getting support for art programs from hard-nosed scientific faculty members at medical schools. Dr. Katz finances his programs largely with money raised from grateful patients.Many doctors spoke of the continuing difficulty of getting support for art programs from hard-nosed scientific faculty members at medical schools. Dr. Katz finances his programs largely with money raised from grateful patients.
Joel Howell, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor, said, “I’ve been asked what is the return on investment by a senior leader of our medical school.” To persuade skeptics, Dr. Howell said, data is needed that goes beyond the evaluations completed by students who opt to take the classes.Joel Howell, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor, said, “I’ve been asked what is the return on investment by a senior leader of our medical school.” To persuade skeptics, Dr. Howell said, data is needed that goes beyond the evaluations completed by students who opt to take the classes.
Also advocating more rigorous research is Jay Baruch, director of the clinical arts and humanities program at Brown University’s medical school, who cautions against overselling the courses’ benefits.Also advocating more rigorous research is Jay Baruch, director of the clinical arts and humanities program at Brown University’s medical school, who cautions against overselling the courses’ benefits.
“It’s really challenging for us to say we’re going to make students more empathetic by spending time in the art museum,” he said. “I count on their families, their religious groups, the furry creatures in the forest to make them empathetic.”“It’s really challenging for us to say we’re going to make students more empathetic by spending time in the art museum,” he said. “I count on their families, their religious groups, the furry creatures in the forest to make them empathetic.”
If the clear goal of these programs for the medical schools is to make better doctors, some might ask what the goal is for the museums. “This creates new narratives for us to think about in the use of our collections that moves beyond art history,” Ms. Pitman said with the cheerful determination of an evangelist.If the clear goal of these programs for the medical schools is to make better doctors, some might ask what the goal is for the museums. “This creates new narratives for us to think about in the use of our collections that moves beyond art history,” Ms. Pitman said with the cheerful determination of an evangelist.
“The stories of being born, aging, dying — for art museums, it’s a very powerful bridge to the audiences that we serve.”“The stories of being born, aging, dying — for art museums, it’s a very powerful bridge to the audiences that we serve.”