On the Significance of Liberal Education in Medical Education : From the Perspective of Philosophy of Medicine

Abstract

In 2001, the “medical education model core curriculum” was established in order to enrich the specialized medical education, wherein the time given for liberal education has been shortened and its position and significance has become weakened and fragile. The purpose of this article is to clarify the recent change in the medical curriculum and its issues, and to discuss it critically and constructively, especially liberal education in medical schools, from the perspective of philosophy of medicine.The serious issue of previous discussions on medical education is the insufficiency of reflections on “what is medicine?,” “who is an ideal doctor?,” and so on, which philosophy of medicine reflects on. So far, without such discussions, several changes have been made in the medical education curriculums. From the perspective of philosophy of medicine, medicine is considered to be an academic and practical discipline that depends both on the scientific methods and human perspective, and that pursues the realization of certain purposes, i.e., to heal and prevent diseases. Medical students are expected to foster the following attitudes critical, sympathetic, and creative.From these considerations, we can conclude that both natural science subjects and humanities-related ones such as philosophy and ethics are essential in medical education. The relationship between liberal education and specialized education should not be one of rivalry or encroachment upon the other, depending on the balance of power in the medical school, but one that is cooperative through a mutual understanding of the importance of each kind. The reason why such a relationship is needed in medical schools is simple; to create better medicines and develop better doctors