Examples from the visual, musical, poetic and dramatic arts will be used to explain how the arts can help physicians and other caregivers deliver better health care in Dr. Joel Howell’s lecture “What the Arts can Teach Us about Health, Illness, and Medical Practice,” from 5-6 p.m. Thursday in Ford Auditorium in the second floor of U-M Hospital.
Howell, the Victor Vaughan Professor of the History of Medicine, will present this Chang Lecture on Art & Medicine on behalf of the Department of Urology. Some examples will show how art can express the basic elements of human existence in ways that can enhance patient care. The central message is that art can help physicians better understand their patients and make them better physicians.
This event is the third in a series of lectures in honor of the Chang family who link Chinese art and the science of urology. The lecture is inspired by the memory of Shirley Chang, the wife of Dr. Cheng-Yang Chang, and by the dedication of the Chang family in supporting the Department of Urology and U-M Museum of Art (UMMA).
Dr. Chang has been a steadfast supporter of the university, in particular the Department of Urology, and most recently the UMMA with a generous donation for a gallery in honor of his late wife. The Shirley Chang Gallery of Chinese Art features more than 30 traditional Chinese paintings by Dr. Chang’s father, noted artist Ku-Nien Chang.
Howell received his medical degree at the University of Chicago and a doctorate degree in the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the U-M faculty in 1984 and has written widely on the use of medical technology and why American medicine has become obsessed with science and technology.
Parking is available in patient Deck A. Attendees are guided to ask for directions at the information desk in the hospital lobby. For more information or directions call Steffanie Samuels at 734-615-9843 or e-mail [email protected].
