Medicine and the humanities have been intertwined since antiquity. Many great physicians—among them Aristotle, Hippocrates, Maimonides, and Chekhov—left their mark not only on medicine but also on the arts and humanities, positioning medicine as an integral part of intellectual and cultural life. This blending of disciplines offers both an outlet for personal expression and a pathway to more empathetic, meaningful patient care.
AMWA celebrates a vibrant community of members who integrate the arts into their medical journeys. AMWA’s medical humanities initiatives encompass a range of creative pursuits—music, visual art, literature, history, and the performing arts—all inspired by their shared intersection with medicine.
In collaboration with Rutgers Women’s Health Institute.
Journal submissions showcase the considerable breadth of talent of our students and physicians across the humanities, including music, art, photography and dance. We hope that our journal can inspire and play a role in healing.
Studio AMWA is an online gallery created to feature the artistic talents of our multifaceted women members and supporters.
Literary AMWA offers a monthly virtual open forum to encourage writing, using storytelling and narrative medicine to foster empathy, reflection, and healing.
AMWA Music & Medicine promotes music as a therapeutic tool, enhancing patient care, physician wellness, and creative expression.
AMWA Dance, Theater, and Medicine blends performing arts with healthcare, fostering research, dialogue, and a more human-centered, equitable practice.
Media AMWA features films and hosts screenings to educate, inspire, and spark discussion, advancing medical humanities and advocacy among physicians.
Women Physicians in WWI highlights the pioneering contributions of women doctors, honoring their legacy and inspiring future generations.
This AMWA online exhibition celebrates women physicians’ contributions to the suffrage movement and their advocacy for equal voting rights.
Why are the humanities important in medicine? A growing body of literature suggests that engaging with the arts and social sciences enhances medical acumen, deepens empathy, and improves professional fulfillment. By exploring the human condition through literature, art, history, or philosophy, physicians and trainees gain a richer understanding of patients’ experiences of illness—its nature, causes, and impact—fostering more compassionate and effective care.
Medical training rightly emphasizes knowledge mastery and technical skill, often relying heavily on structure, protocols, and memorization. Yet, this focus can leave little room for the critical reflection and interpretive thinking found in disciplines like philosophy, literature, or law. The medical humanities help fill that gap—cultivating curiosity, perspective-taking, and moral imagination. Integrating these fields into medical education is not merely additive; it can enhance patient outcomes while deepening compassion and satisfaction for clinicians themselves.
AMWA proudly celebrates the role of the humanities in medicine through initiatives that highlight art, music, writing, film, dance, theater, and history. Our Artist-in-Residence Program has featured creators from diverse backgrounds who explore healing and humanity through many forms of artistic expression.
