Medicine as our liberal arts

Abstract

An undergraduate education in liberal arts is viewed by many, especially in North America, as a desirable preparation for medical school. In countries where such a pre-medicine curriculum is not available, an introduction of 'humanities in medicine' has recently been emphasized. Few, however, has entertained the idea that Medicine already possesses many elements of a liberal arts education. In this article, the author discussed how Medicine may be treated as a liberal arts curriculum, and how the very awareness of this possibility should be articulated and shared by both medical students and teachers. Medical education in countries without a pre-medical curriculum may be transformed from doctor-training to a new level of an explicit and complete education for the individuals. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd.