Reading William
Shakespeare could give physicians a fresh insight into the links between
emotion and illness, a retired doctor and scholar believes.
Dr Kenneth Heaton says many doctors fail to connect
psychological problems with physical symptoms - and argues the
playwright could help them do it.
He listed dozens of examples in which Shakespeare described these phenomena in his works.
"They could learn to be better doctors by studying Shakespeare," he said.
While traditional medical school training never strays far
from the science of diagnosis and treatment, there has been growing
interest in recent years in including courses on health-related art,
history or literature as part of the curriculum.
Dr Heaton, from North Somerset, who studied Shakespeare after
retiring from his post as a gastroenterologist, believes that a broader
perspective could make it easier to understand the viewpoint and needs
of a patient, particularly in general practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment