I am not a doctor, but… A reflection on training doctors in communication skills without being one.

Abstract

Over the last 15-20 years, the scope of medical education has broadened to include disciplines other than the biomedical. Many educators from the humanities and social sciences are thus currently teaching in the faculty of medicine. But how should we understand and communicate the position from which we - as 'non-doctors' - teach in this field? This article provides a reflection on how both doctors and 'non-doctors' in medical education seem to confirm and reproduce an underlying norm, namely that doctors are the most suitable teachers in medical education. I argue that these norms could and should be challenged. I provide examples of how a 'gaze from the outside' is fruitful and may be necessary in medical education, and highlight the potential strength of cross-disciplinary teaching that involves medical educators 'within and outside' medicine.