No one said medical school was going to be fun, but what if it could be? During the med school interviewing process, every pre-med is discouraged from suggesting that their love of medicine began at an early age (because who really came out of the womb knowing they wanted to become a doctor). But, it is true that children enjoy “playing doctor,” and this enjoyment and enthusiasm is often sucked dry by the competitive and work-heavy environment of med school. For years, medical schools have clung to the same traditional curriculum, and although many schools have recently begun developing their own unique course structures and evaluation systems, very few have been successful in creating a fun, relaxed, and collaborative learning environment. One school does stand out, however. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago is the only school in the country that has an improv class that is part of a medical school curriculum. The idea for the class came from Katie Watson, assistant professor of medical humanities and bioethics at the medical school. Watson had been doing improvisational theater as a hobby and realized that much of what improv teaches is needed in medical training, but is absent in the current medical school curriculum. While physician-patient interaction is structured, it is not scripted, and no courses exist that develop these skills outside of rotations. Many students struggle with this aspect of medicine because they do not have the opportunity to practice these interactions before being thrown into clinical situations. Improv provides this experience; it encourages adaptability, dealing with the unpredictable, development of listening skills, mental agility to think creatively and recognize patterns in rapidly changing circumstances, and collaboration, all skills that are important in medical training. Watson developed “Playing Doctor,” a four-week improv elective class that would teach all of these concepts and have students put them into practice in a fun and relaxed environment. The Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges published an article on Watson’s use of improv for teaching medical students. The rules of improv from the article are as follows: 1. Never say, ‘No.’ Denying another student’s idea can stop a scene dead in its tracks. Instead, players ought to build on their scene mate’s suggestion, always responding ‘Yes, and …’ 2. Avoid questions, because they put the burden back on the other player instead of sharing responsibility for building a scene together. 3. Be expert in everything. If the setting is a cockpit, a player should not impede the scene by professing ignorance of aviation. Players must pretend to be knowledgeable to keep the scene progressing. 4. Give gifts — that is, add information to the scene by explaining who they are, why they are there or how they relate to the other players in the scene. All of these methods emphasize collaboration instead of competition. Watson explains “If you want to think about leadership and about the competitive perspective and who is singled out as being excellent, it is often the person who can help the most people. When you see an improv group, who’s the person everyone wants to be in a scene with? It’s the person who makes you look like a rock star. They carry their own and make others feel empowered to do their best job.” Medical students have competitive mindsets, and it is important to encourage collaboration, as medical professionals are most successful when they work together to diagnose and treat patients. Students who have completed Watson’s course have given it much praise with 95% saying they believed completing the course would make them a better doctor. So go back in time to the days of “playing doctor”, after all, childhood was when you were most creative. Source
