Posted: 04 Oct 2010 11:01 AM PDT

The MA Medical Humanities at Birkbeck is having an Open Evening on Tuesday 19th October 2010, 6-7pm.

The course explores 'the art of medicine' and how it can improve patient care. This new, two-year, part-time Master's degree allows reflection on and development ofdaily clinical practice, through a deeper understanding of the Humanities – art, literature, music, myth and culture.

Taught by Birkbeck Faculty and KSS Deanery's senior educational and clinical staff, the MA draws together the emergent fields of Medical Humanities and Intercultural Medicine, to explore and develop the lived experience of clinicians, in the everyday complexities of real-life clinical settings, as they interact with patients and cultures.

The course offers rich insights of the Humanities about culture, the body and what it means to be human, and find ways to integrate these with medical science, to develop a richer understanding of clinical practice. As part of this engagement, students will have the opportunity to explore non-Western models of medical practice, and to consider how far they complement biomedicine, from the points of view of cultures, patients, and practitioners. Students will acquire and refine skills in verbal and written communication, as well as research and critical analysis.

The unique link between Birkbeck and KSS Deanery means that this programme combines world-class research-led Humanities teaching with an established understanding of the real-life experience of clinical practice and patient care. Our location in Bloomsbury offers excellent access to all the major research libraries in London, including Senate House Library, the British Library and the Wellcome Collection.

People can learn more about this exciting new development in medical education, meeting teaching staff who will talk about the programme and explain the application process, by coming to the Open Evening to be held at Birkbeck College, room 541 (Birkbeck Main Building), Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX.

For more information about the course, and about Birkbeck, visit: www.bbk.ac.uk.