Hello. I just read the article below in today’s Washington Post, and I just wondered if those who are currently in medical school (or have already graduated) are able to take any humanities courses in medical school? Does your school have such courses (art, literature, photography, theater, etc.) as part of the curriculum or will they soon? I would love to be able to take non-science courses in med school if possible, but then again I’m not there yet so ask me again in a few years. 
For those that did take these courses, do you think they helped you become a better physician? I’m just curious.
Love,
Stacy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50487-2004Jan26.html
I think that most medical schools will “let you” take some courses in addition to the required ones but I do not think that they are part of the curriculum. At least I did not see any humanities courses listed at the ones I interviewed at…I would believe that it would be tough to add more courses to the already required ones unless you go to Yale…
I read that article, too, and I think it inadvertently left the impression that it’s a required and integral part of the curriculum at many schools. I think it is far more likely to be a small part of a larger course - e.g. “Physician, Patient and Society.” At GWU, our first two years’ Practice of Medicine course incorporated readings that would rightly be called “humanities” but it was not a separate course.
As a fourth year, you generally have options for electives in pretty much anything you want and could do something in the humanities. Again, the med school curriculum is not like what you’re used to at the undergrad or grad-school level: an “elective” for me is a two-week or four-week immersion in one subject. I am sure that if I found a semester course I really wanted to take that the dean would allow me to include it as an elective, however. But unlike electives run through the med school (or other med schools), if I wanted to take something through GW’s School of Arts and Sciences i’d probably have to pay even MORE than I am already paying 
And I sure did relate to the physician who lamented that many students are “dragged kicking and screaming” into participating in these discussions. I’ve seen that all too often. It really does seem there are two camps - those who feel strongly that this needs to be integrated into the curriculum, and those who see NO point to delving into it at all. I am not sure if there is going to be a rapprochement between the groups, unfortunately.