Authentic community as an educational strategy for advancing professionalism: a national evaluation of the Healer's Art course.
BACKGROUND
Efforts to promote medical professionalism often focus on cognitive and technical competencies, rather than professional identity, commitment, and values. The Healer's Art elective is designed to create a genuine community of inquiry into these foundational elements of professionalism.


OBJECTIVE
Evaluations were obtained to characterize course impact and to understand students' conceptions of professionalism.


METHODS
Qualitative analysis of narrative course evaluation responses.


METHODS
Healer's Art students from U.S. and Canadian medical schools.


METHODS
Analysis of common themes identified in response to questions about course learning, insights, and utility.


RESULTS
In 2003-2004, 25 schools offered the course. Evaluations were obtained from 467 of 582 students (80.2%) from 22 schools participating in the study. From a question about what students learned about the practice of medicine from the Healer's Art, the most common themes were "definition of professionalism in medicine" and "legitimizing humanism in medicine." The most common themes produced by a question about the most valuable insights gained in the course were "relationship between physicians and patients" and "creating authentic community." The most common themes in response to a question about course utility were "creating authentic community" and "filling a curricular gap."


CONCLUSIONS
In legitimizing humanistic elements of professionalism and creating a safe community, the Healer's Art enabled students to uncover the underlying values and meaning of their work--an opportunity not typically present in required curricula. Attempts to teach professionalism should address issues of emotional safety and authentic community as prerequisites to learning and professional affiliation.
Rabow
Michael W
MW
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1701 Divisadero St. #500, San Francisco, CA 94143-1732, USA. mrabow@medicine.ucsf.edu
Wrubel
Judith
J
Remen
Rachel Naomi
RN
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D029221:Faith Healing / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011361:Professional Competence; D011786:Quality Control; D012577:Schools, Medical; D026421:Sensory Art Therapies / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical; D014481:United States