TY - JOUR
T1 - A Scoping Review of Programs of Active Arts Engagement in International Medical Curricula
AU - Moula, Zoe
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s).
PY - 2025/5/19
Y1 - 2025/5/19
N2 - Introduction: Arts and humanities are often positioned as ‘additive’ to medical education, rather than ‘intrinsic’. They are also used to teach skills and perspective-taking more than utilising their transformative potential to propel personal insight and social advocacy. There is, therefore, a need for more meaningful and strategic integration of the arts in medical curricula. Existing reviews combine active and receptive arts engagement, although these methods represent different magnitudes of engagement. Methods: This review aimed to synthesise the use of active arts engagement in undergraduate medical curricula internationally. We searched seven databases for articles published between 1991–2024. Results: We reviewed 134 studies conducted in 27 countries (total n = 10,700). Most programs were medium-intensity (e.g., standalone modules), used visual and performing arts, and aimed to foster skills mastery, perspective-taking, and personal insight. Studies on artmaking for social advocacy were lacking, as was data about program evaluation and learner assessment. Almost all survey instruments used were unvalidated. Discussion: Studies of active arts engagement are disproportionately low compared to receptive engagement, signaling missed opportunities to leverage the benefits of the arts. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries, illuminating that lower-income countries do not have a strong voice in the knowledge exchange. To avoid devaluing the arts in medical curricula, we suggest that medical educators: a) direct attention to creative opportunities to engage students with social advocacy; b) collaborate with arts/humanities professionals and international medical educators; c) consider more meaningful and strategic integrations of active arts engagement into medical curricula, approaching them with the same rigor as other medical education programs to maximise their pedagogical potential.
AB - Introduction: Arts and humanities are often positioned as ‘additive’ to medical education, rather than ‘intrinsic’. They are also used to teach skills and perspective-taking more than utilising their transformative potential to propel personal insight and social advocacy. There is, therefore, a need for more meaningful and strategic integration of the arts in medical curricula. Existing reviews combine active and receptive arts engagement, although these methods represent different magnitudes of engagement. Methods: This review aimed to synthesise the use of active arts engagement in undergraduate medical curricula internationally. We searched seven databases for articles published between 1991–2024. Results: We reviewed 134 studies conducted in 27 countries (total n = 10,700). Most programs were medium-intensity (e.g., standalone modules), used visual and performing arts, and aimed to foster skills mastery, perspective-taking, and personal insight. Studies on artmaking for social advocacy were lacking, as was data about program evaluation and learner assessment. Almost all survey instruments used were unvalidated. Discussion: Studies of active arts engagement are disproportionately low compared to receptive engagement, signaling missed opportunities to leverage the benefits of the arts. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries, illuminating that lower-income countries do not have a strong voice in the knowledge exchange. To avoid devaluing the arts in medical curricula, we suggest that medical educators: a) direct attention to creative opportunities to engage students with social advocacy; b) collaborate with arts/humanities professionals and international medical educators; c) consider more meaningful and strategic integrations of active arts engagement into medical curricula, approaching them with the same rigor as other medical education programs to maximise their pedagogical potential.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105006856833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5334/pme.1506
DO - 10.5334/pme.1506
M3 - Review article
SN - 2212-2761
VL - 14
SP - 296
EP - 308
JO - Perspectives on medical education
JF - Perspectives on medical education
IS - 1
ER -
