New pre-med course focuses on the art of healing
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The practice of medicine is often referred to as the art of healing, and some pre-med students at Baylor University are using art as a way to sharpen their craft.
The new Visual Arts and Healing Course at the university exposes future doctors, nurses and health administrators to the creative side of learning.
"Everybody thinks it's a really great experience and not just a class," student Maggie Emerson said."Just seeing what your hands can do. Whether that's working with a patient or whether that's working with art and creating something."
Students in the class work on art projects like painting and basket weaving. They also study pieces by classic artists like Rembrandt and Picasso.
"Art provides a different way of thinking, it's different problem solving,” professor Linda Bostwick said. “Thinking outside the box rather than the linear thinking."
It’s a change in thinking that Bostwick said even state-of-the-art equipment can't replace.
"It teaches them observational skills that are so important,” she said. "It adds a creative process that's really important in being a provider in the healthcare system."
Aside from art projects, students also use their observational skills to look for different symptoms in people to diagnose them with certain medical conditions.