論「醫學人文」教育與通識教育的關係

On the Relationship Between Medical Humanities and General Education

本文主旨在於探討「醫學人文」與通識教育之關係及其融合之可能性與必要性。本文第2節首先解析「醫學人文」之內涵及其必要性，指出「醫學人文」之所以是必要的教育，最重要理由是人的身體並不是純粹生理的、物質的身體，而是身心靈綜合體，所以醫療行為是一種「全人醫療」，而不僅僅是針對致病的病菌本身。只有優質的「醫學人文」教育才能培養以「人」為本的醫師。
本文第3節分析「醫學人文」與通識教育融合的必要性，指出（1）在醫學教育中，缺乏「醫學人文」教育的通識教育是空洞的，（2）在醫學教育中，缺乏「通識」精神的「醫學人文」教育是盲目的，因此，兩者之融合實係理所當然，事所必至，並以生命教育為其融合之平臺。
本文第4節探討作為通識教育的「醫學人文」課程教育之課題，提出「醫學人文」教育可能的兩種教學方法：（1）群體教學方法，（2）「問題導向學習」方法，本節並接著指出：「醫學人文」與通識教育之共同界而在於生命教育，以「覺知之心」（mindfulness）之喚醒為其教學目標，並可考慮以經典研讀作為基礎，引導學生思考「生命的意義」之類重大問題。

The present essay tackles two problematiques, namely, (a) how is medical humanities possible? and (b) what is the relationship between medical humanities and general education?
The second section of the essay is devoted to a discussion of the necessity and definition of the medical humanities. I argue that the necessity of the medical humanities lies in the fact that the human body is a chiasma of mind, soul, and physical body. Holistic medical care must be based upon this complex composition of humans.
The third section of this article discusses the possibility of merging the medical humanities with college general education. I suggest two propositions, namely, (a) in medical education, general education without medical humanities is hollow, and (b) medical humanities without the perspective of general education is blind. These two assertions pave the way to the necessity of merging medical humanities with college general education. This necessity is a logical necessity, on one hand, and a practical necessity, on the other. Life education serves as the integrative platform of medical humanities and college general education.
The fourth section of this paper discusses the pedagogical methods of medical humanities as general education. I suggest two teaching methods of medical humanities, namely, (a) team teaching as a viable method for conducting courses of medical humanities if the teacher functions as the running thread of the class, and (b) problem-based learning (PBL) as a productive method for helping students extrapolate abstract, universal ideas by analyzing concrete and specific problems. I also argue that medical humanities as life education should aim to awaken mindfulness. Reading of the classics may be a good pedagogical strategy that leads to a better understanding of the meaning of life.