Medicine and Art

When I heard Professor Vesna's introduction on the topic of medicine and art, the first example that came into my mind were Leonardo Da Vinci's works. He was famous for his study on human bodies and his amazingly accurate and precise paintings of human bodies and skeletons. The following picture is one of his most famous paintings, Vitruvian Man, which depicts the correlation between ideal human proportions and geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius.

 
Except for studying human bodies through 2D mediums like paintings and x-ray scans, there are other ways for common people to study the beauty of human body through a 3D version. Body Worlds Exhibition is one the best examples. The primary goal of the exhibition is health education. By illustrating the difference between a healthy organ and a diseased organ, like the lung of a smoker and a healthy lung, the audience will have deeper impression of the harm smoking can do. On the other hand, the well-posed plastinates allow people to have a better understanding of where organs are positioned and how fragile human are.
 

And of course, except for medical and artistic works used for research and education purposes, the other great example that demonstrates the combination of medicine and art would be plastic surgery. When I think of plastic surgeries, the first thing that comes into mind is cosmetic surgery, in other words, the elective procedures that helps people who do not have disfiguring conditions to enhance their desiring look. However, through Professor Vesna’s introduction, I learned that the original and main purpose of plastic surgery is to help people who suffer from congenital malformations, disfiguring wounds, animal bites, and profound burn injuries. Plastic surgery really started to progress during World War I. The trench warfare caused thousands of WWI soldiers to receive traumatic wounds on their faces and limbs, thus plastic surgery soon became an independent medical practice. Until today, plastic surgery is still evolving, progressing, and helping millions of people regaining self-confidence and normal lives, like cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, and face transplant. 


Last, I want to conclude with a new idea that I read recently, about how medical schools have gradually started to involve art into their training. Doctor Salvatore Magione has discovered that medical students with more right-brain qualities may have a greater potential in medicine, as we know that words are processed in left brain, but imagery, visual, and drawing skills are processed by the right brain, so people with more right brain qualities may have better innovation and creation abilities. 

Citations:

 Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Pt3." YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

"Mission of the Exhibitions." Body Worlds. Institute for Plastination. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Salcido, Jannelle. "The History of Plastic Surgery." PlasticSurgery.com. 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

 Donohoe, Martin. "Medscape Log In." Medscape. Medscape Ob/Gyn, 2 Nov. 2006. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

 Glatter, Robert. "Can Studying Art Help Medical Students Become Better Doctors?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.