Workshop C

Visual Thinking and Art in Learning Medicine (VITAL) 

Deepthi Gunasekaran MD,1 and Gopal Yadavalli MD2

Department of Medicine, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Room TBD

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is an evidence-based teaching method, initially developed in art museum education and now increasingly applied in medical education to enhance diagnostic thinking and foster collaborative discussion. In VTS, a facilitator guides participants through the analysis of visual artwork using three open-ended questions: “What’s going on in thi simage?”, “What do you see that makes you say that?”, and “What more can you find?”

Several studies demonstrate that art-based programs, including our ongoing collaboration with the BU Art Gallery, are well-received by learners. A recent systematic review of VTS-style interventions in medical education found statistically significant improvements in observational skills, along with increased tolerance for ambiguity and enhanced empathy. The AAMC’s 2020report on the Fundamental Role of Arts and Humanities in Medical Education (FRAHME) encourages the integration of arts and humanities into medical curricula. Additionally, Agarwal et al. (2025) provide a comprehensive guide for implementing VTS programs in health professions education. There is a clear need to cultivate and apply these skills within the BU CAMED educator community. VTS shares essential parallels with clinical reasoning—such as data gathering, analysis, and the development of differential diagnoses and treatment plans. This workshop will provide a framework for medical educators to enhance their teaching of clinical reasoning through open-ended questioning, reflection, and collaboration.

Target Audience:

Medical educators, including faculty, residents and fellows involved in teaching clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the steps of Visual Thinking Strategies
  2. Recognize how art analysis can parallel and support clinical reasoning processes.
  3. Practice facilitating a group discussion using VTS.
  4. Formulate a plan to incorporate VITAL approaches into small group teaching or bedside rounds.

Session Outline:

  1. Brief introduction to VTS (10 mins)
  2. Facilitated large group experience of selected artwork using VTS (30 mins):Workshop leaders will demonstrate the use of VTS by guiding participants through a discussion of pre-selected artwork as agroup.
  3. Reflection and discussion on parallels to clinical cases (15 mins): Workshop leaders will debrief with the group, and guide aninteractive discussion on the uses of VTS in medical education drawing on published literature.
  4. Small group practice leading a VITAL-style discussion (25 mins): Volunteers from the audience will practice leading a sessionusing pre-selected art. Depending on audience size and room availability, the group may be split into two.
  5. Wrap-up with tips for real-world implementation (10 mins): Participants will be asked for to name potential uses and forcommitments to next steps.