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Art & Humanities in Health & Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry's Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine (AHHM) Program offers explicit recognition that clinical practice is both an art and a science.

The AHHM program recognizes the many relationships that exist between the arts, humanities, and social sciences and medicine. Our program exists to initiate activity and inquiry into these intersections, and also provides a focus for existing activities in this area across the Faculty, the University of Alberta, and elsewhere.

In 2006, Dr. Indira Samarasekera, President of the University of Alberta, congratulated the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry for establishing the Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine Program. She stated: "With foresight and amazing collaboration you have launched the University of Alberta toward precisely the kind of future outlined in our vision for creating a great university." PDF file can be download here

Since we launched the Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine Program, we have established an impressive track record. In addition to a wide array of program offerings, the Canadian Mental Health Association recognized the positive effects of our program on faculty, staff, residents and students with a "Work Award" in April 2008.

Mission

The mission of the Arts and Humanities in Health and Medicine Program is to engender a balance of science and the humanities within the Faculty to foster the development of well-rounded health professionals who are skilled, caring, reflexive and compassionate practitioners. The program aims to contribute to the life of the faculty, the university at large, and the Edmonton community through innovative curricular offerings and extra-curricular experiences. In addition, the program promotes inquiry into the intersections of the arts and humanities in health and medicine.

The Arts and Humanities in Health and Medicine program provides a focus for current, ongoing activities. New initiatives will also be developed and linkages fostered among faculty, students and others who share an interest in the interfaces that exist between medicine, the arts, humanities, and the social sciences. Areas considered within the "medical humanities" include: narrative medicine, behavioural medicine/ professionalism, ethics, the arts (literature, music, drama, visual art, creative writing), history, law, and philosophy. Program areas may also encompass multicultural/ international health, care of the elderly, end of life care, human values, complementary and alternative medicine, and other areas in the arts and social sciences (e.g., religious studies, psychology). This program offers explicit recognition within the Faculty that clinical practice is both an art and a science.