Using Art Observation in Museum Education to Broach Topics of Bias and Power Among Health Professional Trainees

Abstract

According to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, training on cross cultural interaction and bias is a high-priority topic in medical education. Thus, there is a need for educational interventions that can inform trainees on the existence of biases, sensitize them to their own biases, and provide avenues to begin combating bias in themselves and their surrounding communities. Although used successfully for training in observation, less has been published on the use of fine art, specifically painting or sculpture, as a means of entry into discussion on issues of bias in medicine relating to race, gender, class, weight, etc. Making the Invisible Visible: Art, Identity, & Hierarchies of Power (MIV) is a 3-hour, guided museum tour that uses art observation to provoke dialogue about biases embedded in western culture as well as their influence on personal and professional interaction. The tour highlights the difference between observation and subjective interpretation to explore the assumptions informing our understanding.

Through a series of guided questions, the historic meaning of each work and the artist’s intentions are interpreted through a contemporary lens and related to modern medical practice. Session facilitators use current research on healthcare disparities to contextualise the discussion and begin suggesting ways to combat the phenomenon in practice and society.