Liberal arts and the premedical curriculum
J. T. Bruer and K. S. Warren
Twenty-five leading physicians, medical educators, and humanists convened
and affirmed the contributions of a liberal arts education to the study and
practice of medicine. Participants agreed that overemphasizing technical
expertise does have deleterious effects on premedical and medical
education, which might be alleviated by encouraging a more broadly based
undergraduate and medical curriculum. Admissions statistics show that
approximately 50% of all applicants of medical school are admitted to some
school and that there is no apparent bias against nonscience majors in the
admissions process. Increased student awareness of these statistics should
relieve anxieties and intense competitive pressures. A publication based on
the conference recommendations will be made available to deans, advisors,
and career counselors.
