Art in Medicine: Public Health Week Workshop x Anchorage Museum

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, students and professionals rarely have the opportunity to reflect on how they think. Yet, metacognitive skills— our ability to think about our own thinking processes—are essential to providing effective, empathic care.

In the Museum’s Art in Medicine workshop, participants strengthen their observation and communication skills while developing awareness of habits of mind and comfort with ambiguity, supporting both their current and future work in the medical field.

Led by Anchorage Museum staff with nearly a decade of experience facilitating learning for healthcare professionals (including nursing and nurse practitioner students at UAA, psychology interns, WWAMI students, Alaska Family Medicine residents, and more), the Art in Medicine workshops use discussion-based observation of objects from the Museum’s collection, along with reflective writing and hands-on activities, to help participants engage deeply and foster metacognitive skills.

The workshops also incorporate cultural content about Alaska to support current and future healthcare professionals in gaining a deeper, more multidimensional understanding of the contexts and histories of Alaska’s diverse population. No previous experience with art or cultural content is necessary.

We invite public health professionals, students, and community residents interested in observation, reflection, and mental wellness to join the Anchorage Museum's Public Health Week program, organized with partners at UAA Division of Population Health Sciences.

Registration: FREE, register early as space is limited.

Program starts at 10a. Please plan to arrive on time, allowing for finding on-street parking or the brief mosey from nearby parking garages and lots.

This event is organized and presented by the Anchorage Museum's Education Team in support of Public Health Week.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Develop comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity, with applications to communication and decision- making
2. Foster communication skills for discussing abstract ideas
3. Promote interdisciplinary dialogue that examines multiple ways of “knowing,” and encourages teamwork and collaboration
4. Cultivate creative habits of mind
5. Support wellness for healthcare professionals through hands-on activities and opportunities to slow down within museum spaces

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Anchorage Museum, 625 C Street, Anchorage, United States

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