鈥淚s that 鈥� is that a door?鈥�
鈥淥h, to me it almost looked like a storm drain. But maybe?鈥�
Pete Cloney (DO 鈥�22) and Anna Sicilia (DO 鈥�22) are leaning towards The All茅e of Chestnut Trees at the Jas de Bouffan, by Paul C茅zanne, studying it closely, looking at the painting鈥檚 colors, the brushstrokes the artist used, and the lush scenery of the tree-lined path within.
鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of little bumps,鈥� Mr. Cloney points out to his partner. Ms. Sicilia shifts positions to get a better view.
These medical students may appreciate art in their spare time, but today, they鈥檙e visiting the Barnes collection in Philadelphia鈥攁 trove of over 3,000 works of art featuring masterpieces by Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, and C茅zanne鈥攁s an optional part of their Primary Care Skills (PCS) class, for a series of workshops designed to hone their perception, observation, communication and collaboration skills.
Existing research has shown that studying artworks can help strengthen these skills; a 2018 study in the journal Ophthalmology found 鈥渟ignificant improvements鈥� in observational skills among medical students who took part in six art-observation sessions.
At 黑料传送门, more than 60 percent of graduates go on to practice in primary care, where those skills are a physician鈥檚 most powerful tools.
鈥淚 think this is helping train our clinical eye,鈥� said Ms. Sicilia. 鈥淚鈥檓 picking up small details and seeing things he didn鈥檛, and we鈥檙e collaborating on our findings.鈥�
鈥淎s we move toward a more integrated approach to medicine, we鈥檒l be dealing with different types of health practitioners. I think workshops like this can help us build those collaborative skills,鈥� added Mr. Cloney.
The series of four workshops, offered by the Barnes through the Sheldon Weintraub Fund, were developed and are led by William Perthes, Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult Education at the Barnes. The curriculum is designed to engage medical students and professionals on how close-looking skills can be beneficial in a clinical setting.
鈥淚n each session, we study these works of art and discuss what is verifiably observable, and what the cumulative effects are of the choices the artist decided to make,鈥� explained Mr. Perthes. 鈥淲hen we think about how medical students approach what they see in a clinical setting, it鈥檚 very similar. There is a linear connection between the way an artist observes and interprets what they鈥檙e painting, and the way a medical student or professional observes and interprets what they鈥檙e seeing in a patient.鈥�
Mr. Perthes has held similar workshops with other medical schools in the city. Ruth Conboy, DNP, LPC, a counselor in the Office of Student Affairs, reached out to Mr. Perthes to see how 黑料传送门 could become involved. This collaboration marks the first time he has met with students across multiple sessions.
鈥淲e鈥檙e interested to learn what the cumulative effects of these visits will be,鈥� he said.
Students in the PCS class, led by Harry Morris, DO '78, MPH, professor and chair, family medicine, applied to attend the workshops and were selected based on their level of interest. During each session, students closely studied works in the collection, discussed what they saw as a group, and journaled their thoughts and experiences for later reflection.
鈥淚n PCS the students learn how to interact with patients and learn to interpret what they鈥檙e seeing鈥� and what they鈥檙e not,鈥� said Dr. Morris. 鈥淭hat is the hallmark of doctor-patient interaction, and the sessions at the Barnes are a natural fit for our students; our educational philosophy is to encourage them to look beyond the illness or ailment to find the root of the problem.鈥�
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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