History in Lives: A Way of Cultivating Medical Professionalism through Medical History Education

Abstract

How can the history of medicine be used to cultivate medical professionalism? This study presents education using the lives of historical figures as a method based on the teaching experience of the course “Leadership of the Healers” for first-year students at the College of Medicine of the Catholic University of Korea. Existing methods, represented by the Osler method, have several limitations: first, they limit the subject of the history of medicine to certain established doctors; second, they describe medical history as a continuum of progress; and third, they present abstract virtues without context, making it difficult to apply what has been learned to specific situations. These limitations are why the lives of historical figures have not been used actively in medical education in recent years. However, education using the lives of historical figures also has clear advantages, such as the power to vividly convey the various elements of medical professionalism. This study proposes an alternative method. The characteristics of the new method can be summarized in two ways. First, it emphasizes the specific context surrounding historical figures and the choices made in specific historical circumstances, rather than presenting abstract virtues outside of the historical context, making students ponder the reality they face and the choices they make. Second, it reveals both the hidden actors and the bright and dark areas of history by selecting diverse multi-dimensional figures.