Dehumanisation of medical education. Part 2. What to do?
https://doi.org/10.51922/1818-426X.2026.2.154
Abstract
The article explores potential solutions to the issue of dehumanization in medical education. It has been noted that technological progress has given rise to new ethical challenges related to the medicalization, commercialization and overdiagnosis in medicine. This highlights the growing importance of a physician’s humanitarian training. However, a trend towards reducing the teaching of humanities is observed in medical education. The discrepancy between the vast spiritual and moral potential of humanitarian knowledge and its presence as a general educational “appendage” to specialized medical subjects has been indicated. The crucial feature of humanitarian knowledge – its ability to reflect the uniqueness and individuality of each person – remains unaddressed. None of the natural sciences are capable of completing this task. It has been emphasized that no universally recognized system of medico-humanitarian education exists. The most common practice is the integration of a complex of humanities disciplines Medical Humanities into medical education (literary studies, philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, ethics, aesthetics, painting, theater and music). The goal is to complement the scientific and technological advancements in medicine with a deep human understanding, to help future physicians develop empathy, communication skills, curiosity and a drive for new knowledge. Medical Humanities is integrated into the academic programs of the majority of medical schools and university medical departments across the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. Competencies gained from studying disciplines within Medical Humanities have been characterized. The integration of humanities into medical education will help address the challenge of training physicians with a stable value system, a necessary set of general cultural and professional knowledge, skills and abilities, enabling them to responsibly and effectively perform their professional duties.
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Review
For citations:
Abayev Yu.K. Dehumanisation of medical education. Part 2. What to do? Medical Journal. 2026;(2):154-160. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.51922/1818-426X.2026.2.154
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