Chapter 10 Beyond the Art of Listening
Music Research in Medical Education
In: Perspectives on Arts Education Research in Canada, Volume 2Search for other papers by Laura Nemoy in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
Arts and humanities programming is becoming increasingly incorporated in the medical school, balancing the biomedical paradigm, and nurturing human and emotional qualities and understandings in medical students. Music is often listed among these arts and humanities disciplines; yet there exists an acknowledged gap in the literature pertaining to musical activities and programming in the medical school, despite the prevalence of choirs, a cappella groups, small instrumental ensembles, and musical theatre programs in medical schools. This chapter presents an overview of the landscape of music research in medical education, beginning with a background and description of the medical humanities concept, followed by a summary of the representation of music in medical humanities and medical education literature. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion and suggestions for areas of future research. Within the medical humanities, music has been tied to metaphors of “medicine as a performing art” or “the art of listening,” but very little literature exists delving into the actual musical experiences of medical students. Literature on choirs, musical ensemble, and community music suggests that choral singing can cultivate many of the intra and interpersonal skills that medical humanities programming encourages, such as empathy, self-awareness, human connection, and wellness. With the prevalence and accessibility of music groups (in particular vocal ensembles) in medical schools, it is viable and important to demonstrate through continued research that the value of music in medical education extends beyond metaphor and therapy, and suggests profound potential in shaping the becoming of compassionate physicians.