This past summer, a group of HUP Internal Medicine residents traveled to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a workshop centered on using artistic analysis as a means of preventing burnout. The four-hour workshop – Fostering Resilience through Art in Medical Education (FRAME) – was intended to provide participants with the necessary skills to pause, reflect, and discover meaning in their clinical practice by exposure to these techniques as they relate to visual artistic analysis.
It was co-sponsored by the Perelman School of Medicine and Internal Medicine and launched in collaboration with of art instructors from the museum. Participating residents received a one-year free membership to the museum from the PSOM and Internal Medicine.
“The instructors began by teaching the basics of systematic art observation by following lines, shapes, and colors and led us through activities that tested our ability to communicate, imagine, and draw explicit connections between works of art and their personal experiences on the wards,” explained Andrew Orr, MD, a third-year resident. By focusing on attention to detail, the group learned the powers of close observation and reflection for infusing meaning into daily life. “Many found connections with works of art that facilitated processing and sharing of emotions,” said Orr.
For example, in small-group sessions where each resident was asked to choose a work of art that related to an experience they had had on the wards, one person chose a painting of a shepherd leading a flock of sheep.
“She described a patient in the intensive care unit who was the matriarch of the family, with seven of her own children and many grandchildren dependent on her,” said cardiologist Nazanin Moghbeli, MD, who facilitated a session. “The process of this woman dying – and the flock of people for whom she was responsible – was reflected in this painting, and provided an opportunity for the residents to process a difficult and commonly occurring part of their work. I am still hearing the words of that final discussion in my head when I reflect on that day.”
“I was really impressed with the residents’ vulnerability and the honest sharing of their feelings and emotions, which was especially evident during the personal response tour activity,” said Horace DeLisser, MD, an associate professor of Medicine in Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care. “This contributed to the effectiveness of the workshop."
When asked what was the most important takeaway from the workshop, one resident said “using art to process my emotions helped to express my thoughts and emotions in a way that words couldn't.” Another noted, “To be cognizant that when I'm ’thinking quickly’ and jumping to conclusions, I am at risk of missing important details,” and then, simply, “how to purposefully slow down to enjoy and appreciate smaller things.”