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TAINAN, Taiwan

The 2014 Medical Humanities in East Asia was held in National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, from March 15^th to 16^th, with more than fifty students and scholars including approximately thirty medical professors from East Asia countries such as Japan, China, and Korea to discuss issues over medical humanities.

NCKU President Hwung-Hweng Hwung welcomed the guests and said that NCKU is committed to promoting academic exchanges and international cooperation, and this conference is just one of many efforts that we have been making in this regard.

He also said, “At NCKU, we believe that learning from our international colleagues from East Asia is an important and necessary step towards excellence.”

Hwung thought, as a prominent university in Taiwan, NCKU carries lots of social responsibilities, and one of such responsibilities is to educate our students well, including students in the health sciences.

The two-day conference included four keynote speeches by Tai-Fai Fok, vice president from the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Chyi-Her Lin, Professor from NCKU College of Medicine; Günter Henze, M.D., PhD, Dept. of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Universitätsmedizin Berlin; and Ms. Jennifer L. Wood, Affiliated visitor of Research Institute for Humanities, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

It also included round table discussion on education of medical humanities, four panels on narrative medicine, medical students’ view on Medical Humanities, medicine in history and humanities on clinical encounters.

Fok gave a speech and said, “Ultimately, what makes a good doctor would reflect a combination of the individual’s background and personal qualities.”

“Attention to literature and the arts helps develop and nurture skills of observation, analysis, empathy, and self-reflection – skills that are essential for humane medical care,” Fok said.

Lin introduced medical educational system in Taiwan and explained, “We try to integrate our curriculum from the first year to sixth with basic, clinical and social science. We provide team-based learning or case studies to foster active group interaction.”

Henze said, “Natural science and humanities should team up then we will be able to create the maximum benefit for patients in terms of clinical, emotional and psychological cure.”

Wood talked about U.S. healthcare reform and identified the barriers and what accounts for the uniquely cultural and political opposition to universal coverage in the U.S.