Dr. David Elkin, a member of the International Board of Advisors for CU-MEDi, visited the Chulalongkorn University International Medical Program in Bangkok on 24 February – 3 March 2023. During his visit, Dr. Elkin taught classes in psychiatry and humanistic medicine. He spoke extensively with faculty members in the program, analyzed our curriculum, and provided invaluable advice.
Reflecting on his visit, Dr. Elkin remarked, “It’s been my pleasure to serve as a member of the International Board of Advisors for CU MEDi, and to visit the medical school after two years of teaching classes over Zoom. CU MEDi is a unique program that has multiple strengths: a skilled and dedicated faculty, bold direction, and an incredible group of talented medical students. The faculty are ideally suited to the success of the program. The students are impressive in their intelligence, insightfulness and desire for growth.”
Dr. Elkin also noted the development of the students’ clinical skills during his visit, stating, “After seeing them in classes and rounds with patients, I can see that they are developing their abilities to utilize empathy with patient encounters, and their capacity for critical thinking during clinical rotations. As they develop clinical and ethical reasoning skills, they are clearly on their way to becoming highly caring and competent physicians.”
Dr. Elkin’s expertise in humanistic medicine was also greatly appreciated by both faculty members and students, as humanistic medicine is an important aspect of the CU-MEDi curriculum. Humanistic medicine emphasizes the importance of empathy and self-understanding. Dr. Elkin’s humanistic workshop was helpful for both CU-MEDi students and faculty members and expanded our faculty members’ ideas about incorporating art and literature into humanistic medicine.
Reflecting on Dr. Elkin’s humanistic medicine classes, CU-MEDi faculty member Dr. Talent Theparee, remarked, “Dr. Elkin’s workshop helped me to better appreciate the value of literature and art in education. The pieces he shared with us led to very interesting and insightful conversations. The workshop itself was very practical and very helpful for educators. Overall, Dr. Elkin’s workshop was an enriching experience.”
CU-MEDi is honored to have had Dr. Elkin’s invaluable insights and guidance and we look forward to working with Dr. Elkin to continually improve our students’ educational experience.
