"This presentation examines how librarians successfully integrated Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) into an innovative ""Acting for Medical Simulation"" theater course, creating an effective interdisciplinary bridge between the arts and healthcare education. Research demonstrates that VTS—an instructional method that encourages slow looking, increases diagnostic success, and fosters medical practitioners’ empathy for their patients—significantly reduces burnout and enhances empathy among medical students.
Integrating VTS and medical education can help to reveal complex patient experiences and build the emotional intelligence needed for compassionate care. This presentation will discuss the rationale for choosing VTS, the collaboration between librarians and faculty, the assignment, which included both a visual and a textual component, the librarians’ lesson plan, learning outcomes, and best practices. Through student examples, we will illustrate how this approach creates meaningful connections between visual literacy skills and empathetic patient care. Attendees will gain practical tools to implement similar cross-disciplinary initiatives at their institutions. "
