Medicine and the Muse
Cover illustration by Jeffrey Fisher c Stanford Medicine
“In this biomedical revolution, we need the humanities now more than ever.” – Lloyd B. Minor, MD, Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine
Writing, poetry and art have been comforts to me throughout my work and personal life. I know their power as meditative processes that relieve physical and mental stress, enhance mental acuity and decision-making, and improve self-image. Artistic pursuits may not cure but they do heal.
When I recently transferred to Stanford Health Care I was delighted to find that there is a serious commitment at Stanford University and Stanford Health Care to incorporate the arts into care for patients and into physician training, going beyond the usual poetry and art classes for cancer victims that are offered by some health care organizations. Stanford is even using dance with Parkinson’s Disease patients.
Stanford Magazine
The winter issue of Stanford Medicine featured articles on the intersection of medicine with the arts and humanities. You can read these articles online. The winter issue was produced in collaboration with Stanford’s Medicine and the Muse program.
- A physician-poet’s essay on the movement to include the arts and humanities in medical education and practice.
- An article by an ophthalmologist explaining how our eyes help us perceive color, including strategies artists use, knowingly or otherwise, to create magical effects.
- A collection of stories about Stanford medical students who use art in a variety of ways to become better doctors.
- A Q&A with Max Aguilera-Hellweg, MD, a world-class photographer who earned a medical degree and then returned to photography to document the body during surgery and in everyday life.
- A story about children in chronic pain who use photography to convey their experiences to their families and doctors.
The entire magazine is available online.
by Getchen Del Rio
Enjoying New Toy
In new house
This is brilliant ! Thanks for sharing this information ! Art without a doubt entangles with our basic psychic; thereby dealing healing our parallels back to our original self .
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It’s true. I’m glad you liked the piece. Thank you for the visit and for taking time to comment.
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Thanks, Jamie, for sharing this. I just spent the last hour engrossed in articles that impacted me deeply – from challenging me to think more deeply in how I manage color when editing photographs to thinking about the challenges of integrating chronic pain and maintaining a functional lifestyle that is “good enough”. The articles I read about children with chronic pain and debilitating skin conditions humbled me. With all this feeding my brain and soul, the only thing that could make this moment better is a cold drink. I’m on my way to the kitchen. 🙂
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Would this be a good thing? I know I felt some of it was difficult, but also felt there were things I needed to think about and so I thought to share it … and, as I said, I’m glad they’re doing more with the arts for patients and docs.
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Yes – it was a good thing, for the reasons you mentioned. As a poet, you know that it is good and necessary to touch those parts of ourselves and our world that may create uncomfortable feelings. Keep up the good work, Jamie.
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Thanks! It’s sometimes hard to assess online. Not like the give and take of conversation. Be well.
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