Objectives

Our goal was to introduce our community to ways in which creative arts (e.g., painting and music) or technological arts (video games or virtual reality) enhance the medical profession. We held an event that brought students, staff, and faculty together for fun and stress relief while teaching about different aspects of medical education, patient education, and therapy. 

Methods

This program, originally designed as an introduction to graphic medicine, was the cornerstone of a series of events celebrating National Medical Librarians Month. Our audience was the students, faculty, and staff of a graduate-level health sciences school. Drawing on the expertise of other campus departments, we expanded our programming from graphic medicine to include other aspects of creative and technological expression. Each of the six event stations included examples of the therapeutic/educational modality, and some also included demonstrations or interactive components.

Results

We asked attendees at each station to fill out a satisfaction survey. Survey completion at each station ranged from 14-55, but not all attendees filled out the survey. We also received verbal feedback from station facilitators, attendees, and passers-by. Responses to each station, as well as the overall program, were overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees expressed their excitement for next year’s event.

Conclusions and Future Plans

Post-event analysis reveals a need for more interactivity in the program. While stations without participatory elements received more traffic, attendees spent less time at those stations. We are also working improvements to our data collection during and after the event; possible ideas include a post-event survey to gauge the effect of the programming on attendees’ knowledge. For this year’s event, we hope to add more fun and educational elements, such as a graphic artist to paint caricatures and a panel featuring art and music therapists.