Analysis of Strategies for Integrating Humanities with Medical Sciences in Iran from the Perspective of Humanities Experts with Convergence Sciences Approach

Medical humanities are one of the most important interdisciplinary needs. Since the most important discussion in this field is how to achieve it, the purpose of this study is to analyze it from the perspective of humanities experts in the Iran.

The present study is a national wide qualitative study that was conducted in 2019. Considering the saturation criterion, data were collected through 22 semi-structured interviews and two open questionnaires from the participants. Study analysis was performed by thematic analysis method.

The participants were critical of the current situation of medical humanities in the country because there was no effective and serious relationship between humanities and medical sciences. To achieve this, four themes of institutional knowledge development, neighborhood (non-institutional development), policies and sociability were extracted.

The development of medical humanities requires macro-policies in the country to be done with organizational institutional support. In these policies, proximity between the two areas and attention to the field of culture are also suggested. In this regard, it is suggested to have a native approach in returning to the traditions and roots of humanities and especially the history of literature in medical education.