Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41063159›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2025

In love with medical humanities! A survey on medical students' opinions and satisfaction with an integrated elective course.

Francesca Tusoni, Vincenza Ferrara, Alessandro Franceschini, Vincenza Cofini, Laura Giusti, Annalisa Iagnemma, Silvio Romano, Stefano Necozione, Leila Fabiani

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Francesca TusoniDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8155-1511
Vincenza FerraraSapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6371-2038
Alessandro FranceschiniSIPeM Italian Society for Medical Pedagogy, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-9376-7453
Vincenza CofiniDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1107-418X
Laura GiustiDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0813-1649
Annalisa IagnemmaDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy. annalisa.iagnemma@graduate.univaq.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4904-5509
Silvio RomanoDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3520-4786
Stefano NecozioneDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2501-1665
Leila FabianiDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0597-1450

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInternationally, the teaching of medical humanities (MH) in medical schools is often limited to elective courses. It is therefore important to understand students' views in order to increase their participation in these courses. Three elective courses in medical humanities have been activated at the University of L'Aquila, which constitute a single educational pathway for medical students: a course in Visual thinking strategies, a course in Narrative medicine and a course in Reflective practices. This study aims to investigate medical students' opinions and satisfaction with these three medical humanities courses. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe administered a questionnaire to all medical students who took a medical humanities course in the academic year 2023-2024 at the University of L'Aquila. The questionnaire aimed to assess students' opinions on the content and usefulness of the course and to gather suggestions for improving it. The data collected were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively, by using various qualitative analysis techniques.

resultsThirty-eight students took an MH course during the selected academic year and were recruited for the survey. The survey revealed higher course participation among female students. The courses proved to be important opportunities for students to compare themselves with their colleagues. The students were very satisfied with the three courses (especially the VTS and RP courses), considering them useful for their personal, professional and social growth. They reported improving their observational, reasoning and communication skills (VTS course), developing an empathic attitude towards patients (VTS and NM courses), and learning to work in groups (RP course). They appreciated more workshops than theoretical lectures and suggested increasing the chances to practice what they learnt, also in real life.

conclusionsAlthough some aspects can still be improved, medical humanities courses have been very successful among medical students due to their educational and social value.

Indexed as

CurriculumEducation, Medical, UndergraduateHumanitiesPersonal SatisfactionStudents, MedicalAdultFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultMedical educationMedical humanitiesMedical skillsNarrative medicineQualitative researchReflective practicesSatisfactionVisual thinking strategies

Identifiers

PMID41063159
PMCPMC12506386

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.