An anatomy memorial tribute: fostering a humanistic practice of medicine.

Abstract

Medical students' first "patients" are the individuals who donate their bodies for laboratory dissection, and these first lessons of medicine serve as a model for the doctor-patient relationship. An Anatomy Memorial Tribute was initiated by students at Mount Sinai School of Medicine to honor these donors. Students and faculty shared music, art, and readings of original poetry and prose. The event facilitated dialogue about attitudes and feelings with regards to death and dying. Controversial issues included anonymity versus identification of donors and the appropriateness of professionals showing emotion in public. The feedback from both students and faculty participants in the event was overwhelmingly positive. Students wrote that the tribute provided a sense of closure for their dissection experience and reinvolved them in shaping their education; faculty indicated that it was appropriate. Memorial tributes are a first step toward fostering the personal growth and emotional preparation required for competent and compassionate patient care. To encourage a humanistic approach to medical education, faculty have the opportunity to participate in such tributes, facilitate sensitive use of language in the anatomy laboratory, and expand the broader medical school curriculum in relation to death and dying. Medical students may expand the concept of memorial tributes and enhance their professional growth in this area by sharing information, ideas, and experiences through national organizations such as the Humanistic Medicine Group of the American Medical Students Association. The capacity of physicians to effectively serve patients facing the end of life is particularly relevant in the setting of palliative medicine.