One of the most important skills that a doctor can have is the skill of observation. The ability to observe all of the signs that are being presented by a patient can make or break the doctor's ability to make a correct diagnosis. Some med students are finding that intense observation of art in museums can lead to improving this skill so that they can offer better diagnosis and treatment to their patients in the future.
For example, students may look at the painting "Ida" by Ivan Albright and examine it closely to make observations about the woman which can lead to a medical diagnosis. The fact that the patient has varicose veins is an indicator of many potential health problems (just as it would be if the doctor was looking at your varicose veins). Looking at the other details in the painting leads to a more fully-formed decision regarding what those veins likely mean, information that can be useful to this med student's patients later on.
Learn more about the use of art as a med student skill-building tool here.
Question of the Day: Do you notice little details like varicose veins when looking at paintings in a gallery or museum?
