Explore the artistic and humanistic dimensions of medical education and practice.
Iowa’s appreciation of and commitment to writing and communication is evident in the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. The college’s Writing and Humanities Program gives medical students the space and time to pursue interests in the arts and humanities, as well as develop skills critical for their futures as successful physicians. They also publish The Examined Life Journal, a review of creative works related to health and the human condition in all its myriad definitions.
The Writing and Humanities Program offers courses such as writing and medicine, literature and medicine, and editorial writing for medical students. It also provides consultations to review CVs, research papers, patient notes, presentations, creative writing, and any other form of writing.
Infusing writing into their medical education directly benefits student professional skills and prepares them to be more effective communication with their patients.
Medicine is more than science—it’s a human experience shaped by storytelling, reflection, and creativity. The Writing and Humanities Program at the Carver College of Medicine embraces this idea by exploring the artistic and humanistic dimensions of medical education and practice. Through a critical, transdisciplinary approach, we highlight how the humanities and arts deepen our understanding of medicine, patient care, and professional identity.
“How do you listen, really listen, to a patient? The best way to do that, I think, is to be a good reader. And not just reading textbooks, but fiction. Because when you read fiction, you’re forced to imagine things that are in another world. And how you interpret it might be different from how the author intended, and that’s OK. You don’t have to worry so much about the right answer. Being willing to be wrong or surprised, those are all things that are developed in people who are invested in the humanities.”
We Make Writing a Priority
At Iowa, writing and communication is a priority across all curriculums and all levels of instruction.