Teaching the Human Side of Medicine through Films

Cinemeducation is the use of films in medical education. It provides an immersive learning experience that improves learning by observation, by creation of a supportive learning and by providing motivation for learning.1,2 This article focuses on the available resources from movies that can be used for teaching Attitude, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) to medical students. However, merely watching movies is not enough; reflecting on the movie clippings/videos shown is pertinent for in-depth comprehension. Table 1 shows some of the movies that can be used to teach AETCOM.Table 1: List of films that can be used to teach the humanistic values of a physician and ethics to the studentsThe different levels of students who could be trained with the humanistic aspects depicted in the resources, as well as the relevance of the resource to clinical practice. PHASE 1 MBBS The popular Hindi movie Munna Bhai MBBS, despite having the elements of a typical song and dance of Bollywood movies, brings out the hidden message of the importance of good communication skills, the humane way of breaking bad news and working as a healthcare team with all health professionals. The movie clippings of Agnishwar can be used to portray empathy, altruism and professionalism. It is the responsibility of a physician to view the patient in totality in the context of his/her socioeconomic and cultural status and to ensure proper intervention when necessary. First-year students can be asked to watch the movie Gujarish before they come for an AETCOM session on empathy and doctor–patient relationship and can be asked to comment on the difference of attitude between a trained nurse and untrained family members caring for a paraplegic patient. PHASE 2 MBBS The movie Waiting is an excellent resource for teaching empathy, professionalism, autonomy and special communication skills such as breaking bad news and discussion on end-of-life support. This movie is a realistic portrayal of the varied emotions of patients and will trigger students’ minds to think beyond the books and subjects. PHASE 3, PART 1 AND 2 MBBS Clippings from ‘Anand’ can be used to teach students anger management and controlling knee–jerk reactions while dealing with patients. These teach them to control impulsive behaviour and take time to analyse before responding. Clippings from ‘The Awakening’ can be used to teach compassion, empathy and professionalism in patient care. These clippings can be shown to Phase 3 MBBS students, as they may actually see similar patients seeking that special touch beyond the drugs or as a supplement to drugs. The television series ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ apart from dealing with humanistic aspects, is particularly an excellent resource to teach the importance of work–life balance. CONCLUSION Films have emerged as a powerful educational tool in health professions education, offering a unique way to navigate through complex topics such as ethics, empathy and communication. This review highlights how films, when considerately integrated into curricula, can enhance humanistic values, reflective learning and foster critical thinking. Standardisation and assessment still remain a challenge, despite that research in medical education supports the inclusion of cinematic resources as an approach to teach humanistic skills to the budding doctors. Authors’ contributions BB: Concept, design, definition of intellectual content, literature search, manuscript. preparation, manuscript editing and manuscript review. SD: Concept, design, definition of intellectual content, literature search, manuscript preparation, manuscript editing and manuscript review. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.