Physician as Scientist and Humanist

This post is part of our continuing book profile series featuring excerpts and quotes from the contributors to the upcoming book, "Creative Arts in Humane Medicine"......


"The American Medical Student Association AMSA has long held the belief that a well-rounded, nurturing medical education that supports the reflective capacity of medical students is ideal.  To this end, we have a history of leadership in the humanities.  Having personally been a part of this programming at my medical school, I have seen the tangible demand for this type of programming.  Students have commented after attending these events and programs, that they feel re-inspired in their commitment to medicine, that they have connected with their true selves as healers, and finally that they have found a community of like minded physicians and physicians-in-training."

"AMSA believes it is paramount that the physician not only be a scientist but a humanist, a communicator and an advocate."

Aliye Runyan, M.D.
Education and Research Fellow
American Medical Students' Association

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) founded in 1950,  is based in Washington,  and is the largest independent association of physicians in training in the United States.  Uniquely student governed,  AMSA  has a membership of 68,000 from across The United States.  Among the key goals of the AMSA are to advocate for quality and affordable health care for all, equality in global health and enriching medicine through diversity.

Creative Arts in Medical Education and Practice Upcoming Webinar AMSA

Press Release, January 4, 2013

Cheryl L. McLean, Publisher of The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, IJCAIP has been invited to facilitate an upcoming webinar in March for The American Medical Student Association, Medical Humanities Scholars’ Program. The program draws together physicians, humanists, scholars and others to lead student sessions and open up discussion around the practice of medicine and integration of science and humanities and to explore how  the humanities enrich and lend perspective to the medical field.  

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) founded in 1950,  is based in Washington and is the largest independent association of physicians in training in the United States.  Uniquely student governed,  AMSA  has a membership of 68,000 from across The United States.  Among the key goals of the AMSA are to advocate for quality and affordable health care for all, equality in global health and enriching medicine through diversity.

In a recent interview for the upcoming  book, "Creative Arts in Humane Medicine" Aliye Runyan M.D.,  Education and Research Fellow, American Medical Student Association,  reported The AMSA has a history of leadership advocating for the humanities in medical education.  Just one example is The Medical Humanities Scholars' Program.   "The Medical Humanities Scholars' Program," reports Runyan,  "exposes students to lead faculty in narrative medicine, humanities and the arts as they explore reflective capacity, communication, self care and the art of listening to their patients' stories."   Cheryl McLean will participate March 21, 2013 as a guest facilitator for the AMSA Medical Humanities Scholars' Program, Perceptions of Physicians in Literature and the Arts: Arts Alive and Thriving in Medical Education.

The theme for this year’s  AMSA, Medical Humanities Scholars' program is “Perceptions of Physicians in Literature and the Arts”.  Ms. McLean will lead one of the  sessions in the webinar course  around  the growing diversity and vitality of the creative arts in medicine, education  research and practice.  This webinar will also be available for access at the IJCAIP Journal website at http://www.ijcaip.com.  She is editor of the upcoming book, “Creative Arts in Humane Medicine” to be published by Brush Education for release in 2013.