“Doctor Jazz”: Lessons that medical professionals can learn from jazz musicians

Abstract

Background: The worlds of a physician and a jazz musician seem entirely different. Various studies, however, relating the concepts behind jazz music to medical practice and education, have been published. The aim of this essayistic review is to summarize previously described concepts behind jazz music and its required artistic skills that could be translated to medicine, encouraging doctors, medical students and medical educators to see their professional environment from a different perspective.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and ERIC databases, combining keywords with regard to jazz, medicine and medical education. Background information concerning jazz music and several jazz musicians was retrieved through an additional nonsystematic search using Google Scholar.

Results: Lessons with regard to improvisational skills, both in communication with patients and in a technical context, communication skills, leadership, interprofessional teamwork and coping with errors are presented.

Conclusions: Doctors and medical students could learn various lessons from jazz music performance and jazz musicians. The potential and the possibilities of implementing jazz into the medical curriculum, in order to contribute to the development of professional skills and attitudes of medical students, could be explored further.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Any mention of performing jazz artists and/or jazz recordings is for educational purposes only, without any intent of copyright infringement. “Waltz for Debby” by Bill Evans Trio (Riverside RLP-399) is courtesy of Concord Music Group, Beverly Hills, CA, USA.

Glossary

Jazz: Musical genre consisting of improvisation on a rhythmic and harmonic foundation (Source: Giddins G, DeVeaux S. 2009. Jazz. New York: W.W. Norton & Company).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Allard E. van Ark

Allard E. van Ark, MD, recently graduated as a medical doctor. He is passionate about both jazz and medicine and came up with the idea for this article while following an elective in Medical Education at the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Marjo Wijnen-Meijer

Marjo Wijnen-Meijer, PhD, is Coordinator Quality Control and Associate Professor at the Center for Research and Development of Education, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.