Vol. 24 No. 2: Special Issue Conference "The art of observation"
Short paper

Use of Fine Art to Enhance Visual Diagnostic Skills

Jacqueline Dolev
Department of Dermatology; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven, Conn
Linda Friedlaender
Department of Dermatology; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven, Conn
Linda Krohner
Yale Center for British Art; Yale University; New Haven
Irwin Braverman
Department of Dermatology; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven, Conn

Published 2024-11-20

Keywords

  • the art of observation

Abstract

Observational skills that define the astute clinician are usually only acquired after years of clinical experience. Recognizing both the subtle and obvious visual details is a critical aspect of visual diagnosis or ‘seeing’. Nonetheless, the formal teaching of observational skills is rarely included in the medical curriculum. We studied whether the experiential process of seeing such visual details can be enhanced in medical students through systemic visual training using representational paintings.