Use of film to build student empathy and enable reflective thought in a new Medical Humanities programme embedded within the undergraduate MBBS curriculum

Abstract

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong launched an innovative Medical Humanities programme in 2012 as a core component within a new undergraduate MBBS 6-year curriculum. The mission of the Medical Humanities programme that is longitudinally integrated within the curriculum is “to help nurture the development of medical students into caring physicians who are capable of a deeper understanding of the human condition and who are thus able to provide better care to the patients entrusted to their care as well as to themselves”. In the second year of the Medical Humanities programme, students engaged with a theme of Suffering and Healing using narrative, visual art, film, performance and mindful practice. Here, we present our experience of using the French language drama Amour (directed by Michael Haneke, 2012) which portrays suffering and decline after stroke in an elderly woman and the impact on her husband carer. Within a workshop setting, students viewed the film, discussed critical issues in small groups and teachers led a discussion of particular clinical scenarios portrayed. Students wrote individual personal reflections which were assessed by the teachers. Quantitative and qualitative feedback provided by students elucidated how well the workshop met prescribed learning outcomes. Comparator questions also asked in other Medical Humanities units allowed some insight into student opinion of workshop content, instructional methods, and overall workshop rating. Data indicated that film can be effective in achieving Medical Humanities learning outcomes. Given the relatively accessible nature of film as an art form, we argue that film can play an important role in undergraduate medical education.