Medicinal Melodies: A Scoping Review of Music In Medical Education

Main Article Content

Rohan Sampy

Abstract

As medical education continues to advance, integrating empathy and emotional intelligence with technical skills remains essential. The field of medical humanities, encompassing disciplines such as the study of music, is increasingly recognized as crucial for cultivating these interpersonal and emotional competencies. Music has been recognized for its significant role in enhancing interpersonal skills, stress management, and empathy among medical students. This review examines various approaches to integrating music into medical education, including active participation in performances, reflective listening practices, structured coursework, and professional development workshops. Participation in musical groups has shown benefits in stress relief, teamwork, and cultural appreciation. Reflective listening to music, such as attending performances and analyzing them, helps enhance self-awareness and non-verbal communication skills. Formal coursework and clinical applications of music therapy provide students with insights into how music can improve patient care, fostering greater patient engagement and building stronger rapport. While professional development seminars are beneficial, they often face challenges in securing student engagement and may lack opportunities for direct patient interaction. Despite the promising evidence, challenges exist. Methods relying on musical skills might exclude non-musicians, and the effectiveness of listening-based approaches can vary with personal music preferences. Theoretical frameworks in music-based pedagogy advocate for integrating these methodologies with empirically supported clinical practices to develop a comprehensive and structured curriculum. Overall, integrating music into medical education offers the potential to enhance humanistic practices and improve patient interactions, though further research is needed to optimize and formalize these approaches.


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À mesure que la formation médicale progresse, l’intégration de l’empathie et de l’intelligence émotionnelle aux compétences techniques demeure essentielle. Le domaine des sciences humaines médicales, qui englobe des disciplines telles que l’étude de la musique, est de plus en plus reconnu comme crucial pour cultiver ces compétences interpersonnelles et émotionnelles. La musique a été reconnue pour son rôle significatif dans l’amélioration des compétences interpersonnelles, de la gestion du stress et de l’empathie chez les étudiants en médecine. Cette étude examine diverses approches pour intégrer la musique dans la formation médicale, y compris la participation active à des représentations, des pratiques d’écoute réflexive, des cours structurés et des ateliers de développement professionnel. La participation à des groupes musicaux s’est révélée bénéfique pour le soulagement du stress, le travail d’équipe et l’appréciation de la culture. Une écoute réfléchie de la musique, par exemple en assistant à des représentations et en les analysant, contribue à améliorer la conscience de soi et les compétences en matière de communication non verbale. Les cours structurés et les applications cliniques de la musicothérapie permettent aux étudiants de mieux comprendre comment la musique peut améliorer les soins prodigués aux patients, ce qui favorise l’engagement des patients et l’établissement de rapports plus étroits. Bien que les séminaires de développement professionnel soient bénéfiques, ils se heurtent souvent à la difficulté de susciter l’engagement des étudiants et peuvent manquer d’occasions d’interaction directe avec les patients. Malgré les preuves prometteuses, il existe des défis à relever. Les méthodes reposant sur les compétences musicales peuvent exclure les non-musiciens, et l’efficacité des approches basées sur l’écoute peut varier en fonction des préférences musicales personnelles. Les cadres théoriques de la pédagogie basée sur la musique préconisent l’intégration de ces méthodologies aux pratiques cliniques soutenues empiriquement afin de développer un programme d’études complet et structuré. Dans l’ensemble, l’intégration de la musique dans la formation médicale offre la possibilité de renforcer les pratiques humanistes et d’améliorer les interactions avec les patients, bien que des recherches supplémentaires soient nécessaires pour optimiser et formaliser ces approches.

Article Details

Section
Review & Clinical Practice

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