The idea of using art appreciation as a way to educate doctors has growing support.
The 2010 Carnegie Foundation report, “Educating Physicians: A Call for Reform of Medical School and Residency,” discusses the importance of humanities and social science education in the formation of the physician. Among the report’s recommendations are innovative programs that use art museums as teaching laboratories. But there may also be some selfish reasons for all of us to consider incorporating museum visits into our lives. A fourteen-year Swedish study looked at possible determinants of survival in a random cohort of over 10,000 individuals between the ages of 25 to 74. The authors observed a higher mortality risk for those people who rarely visited the cinema, concerts, museums, or art exhibitions compared with those visiting them most often. The significant relative risks for surviving the duration of the study ranged between 1.14 (95% CI, 1.01–1.31) for those who attended art exhibitions, and 1.42 (CI, 1.25–1.60) for those attending museums, when adjusted for the nine other variables. Visits to the cinema and concerts also resulted in significant relative risk values that were intermediate to these two results. However, the authors could not discern any beneficial effect of attending the theatre, church service, or sports event as a spectator or any effect of reading or making music by the participants.
Spend an afternoon at an art museum, for the good of your body, your soul, and your patients.
Dr. Helfgott is physician editor of The Rheumatologist and associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology, immunology, and allergy at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
References
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- Maloney WJ. Bell’s palsy: The answer to the riddle of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’. J Dent Res. 2011; 90:580-582.
