October 9, 2024

Integrating Humanities in Psychiatry

Dr. Mary Blazek is featured in a podcast by the Association for Academic Psychiatry

In a world where science and the arts often seem at odds, the intersection of these fields is gaining traction—especially in psychiatry.

Mary Blazek, M.D.

Mary Blazek, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic and the Medical Humanities Path of Excellence, recently participated in a thought-provoking panel discussion for the Association for Academic Psychiatry Podcast series exploring the role of humanities in psychiatry. The podcast, released in two episodes, delves into how embracing the humanities can enrich both personal and professional identities in the medical field.

Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Blazek shared:

“I had a circuitous path that in retrospect seems logical and a natural progression, but while it was happening, it didn’t feel that way.”

From her involvement in the arts as a youth—where she honed her skills as a violinist and developed a love for literature and art museums—she initially set those passions aside to focus on the rigorous demands of medical school. As an English major who made a last-minute decision to pursue medicine, she often felt that her artistic interests were self-indulgent given her ambition to pursue medicine.

Dr. Blazek's journey took a transformative turn when she pursued a Master’s of Education in the Health Professions, where she recognized a gap in the integration of medical humanities within the medical curriculum and inspired by this realization, she proposed a Medical Humanities Path of Excellence at the Michigan Medical School, now entering its tenth year. This initiative has paved the way for future medical professionals to appreciate the vital role that arts and humanities play in patient care and personal well-being.

“The medical humanities give us opportunities to grow and explore new avenues about ourselves, our patient care, and our role as educators.” -- Dr. Blazek

In her work, Dr. Blazek employs the arts to engage medical students and all health professionals at the interface between medicine and the humanities, enhance their development as emerging physicians, combat ageism in medical education, and promote wellness in physicians and medical trainees. She also leads an elective for medical students in the Visual Arts and Medicine at the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Through this work, she has turned what she once viewed as personal pleasures into powerful teaching tools that promote mindfulness and wellness in the medical field.

To hear more about how embracing the arts can lead to advancements in both personal fulfillment and patient care, listen here: Part 1Part 2.