Review on humanities in undergraduate medical education system

AbstractAim Humanities are an important component of many medical schools’ undergraduate curriculum throughout the globe, and medical journals publish a large number of papers in this area. The goal of this research was to investigate how far the research on humanities in undergraduate medical education tries to show that this incorporation of humanities in undergraduate medical education has a long-term effect. The sources also were classified as “pleading the case,” “course summaries and assessments,” “finding proof of long-term effect,” or “holding the horses” after a qualitative examination. Out of 245 publications, 224 lauded the (possible) benefits of humanities on medical education or detailed current or proposed courses without providing significant evidence of these educational activities’ long-term influence on medical competence. Only nine papers showed evidence of efforts to demonstrate long-term effects using a variety of test methods, while ten studies showed a cautious approach toward humanities in medical school. There is a paucity of proof on the long-term benefits of including humanities into undergraduate medical education. In the light of contemporary demands for proof to show educational efficacy, this may represent a danger to the ongoing growth of humanities-related activities in undergraduate medical education.