Reimagining medical education: integrating medical humanism and narrative medicine into a new educational paradigm

TL;DR

This paper explores how to better integrate humanistic values into medical education to improve patient-centered care.

Contribution

It proposes a systematic approach to embedding Narrative Medicine into medical curricula.

Findings

Narrative Medicine improves empathy, communication, and ethical sensitivity in medical students.

Current integration efforts are hindered by curricular overload and lack of faculty training.

A structured approach with interdisciplinary support can create a more holistic medical education.

Abstract

Medical education has increasingly prioritized technological competence, often at the expense of humanistic values central to patient-centered care.

This Mini Review examines how medical humanism and Narrative Medicine can be systematically integrated into contemporary medical education to rebalance technical expertise and humanistic care.

Current evidence suggests that Narrative Medicine enhances empathy, communication skills, professional identity, and ethical sensitivity. However, integration efforts remain fragmented and are frequently constrained by curricular overload, insufficient faculty preparation, and misaligned assessment systems.

Embedding Narrative Medicine within core curricula, supported by interdisciplinary collaboration, longitudinal programs, and rigorous evaluation frameworks, offers a feasible pathway toward a more holistic and sustainable medical education paradigm.

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