Integrated Clinical Arts 2012-2019 - Workshop- Alpert Medical School 

Julie Strandberg, Professor of Performance Studies at Brown, and Rachel Balaban, the Regional Coordinator of “Dance for Parkinson’s Disease,” co-founders of Artists and Scientists as Partners (ASaP), a research and advocacy group dedicated to implementing the arts within a holistic healing approach.  In this workshop, they discussed the tangible benefits of music and dance for patients with Parkinson’s disease and Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Through a series of dance exercises, students improved their non-verbal communication skills and explored how the performing arts can serve as a source of healing for both themselves and their patients.   

Objectives: 
1) To provide students with dance experiences to enhance their own well-being and awaken mind-body connections that will serve them in their everyday life.  
2) To explore movement as a source of communication and creative expression.  
3) To investigate how gesture, stance, body language, and use of space and time can strengthen non-verbal communication skills, and enhance understanding of interpersonal relationships."

ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS AS PARTNERS—pre-clinical elective Jan-April ‘14 

medical school photo.JPG

This 13 week course was divided into three 4 week sections, with a final review week, and was a combination of studio work, readings, discussions, and journaling.  The first four weeks focused on the students personal exploration of the arts for their own personal growth and healing.  The second four weeks focused on the role of the arts in patient healing and how the arts can enhance the doctor/patient relationship.  The final four weeks explored Artists and Scientists as partners and how best to have doctors and artists bring their expertise to the holistic interaction with patients.  Mindful of the fact that the care of our aging population is being integrated into the medical school curriculum, some attention was given to readings, studies, and programs for the aging. Throughout the course, students explored and discuss existing arts programs in hospitals and research the value of the arts in healing. Students kept journals of their experiences and findings.