The art of medicine
Tue, September 17 2024, 11am
Jon Hallberg, MD
Professor
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Event to be held via Zoom.
Years ago, as a young medical student, Jon Hallberg heard medicine described as the most scientific of the humanities, and the most humanistic of the sciences. That statement affected him profoundly. At the time, he was immersed in and overwhelmed by the memorization of scientific fact. He struggled to imagine how he might create a career that would allow him to give appropriate balance to the idea of the art and science of medicine.
Now, looking back on his 30-year career as a family physician, it's clear just how important it's been for Jon Hallberg, MD, to embody the art of medicine in all that he does, from clinical care to his unique patient population, the spaces in which he works, and the way he engages students and the public.
For UMRA’s September 17 Living Well Workshop, Hallberg will explore the literal and the metaphorical aspects of practicing the art of medicine, and the importance of both to clinicians and patients alike.
Hallberg is an award-winning professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is also the creative director of the school's Center for the Art of Medicine, and the medical director of the M Physicians Mill City Clinic in Minneapolis, a light- and art-filled clinic he helped design.
After 18 years as the regular health and medical analyst on the regional edition of “All Things Considered” on Minnesota Public Radio, Hallberg started working with Twin Cities PBS to create a four-part series called "Art + Medicine." To date, two of the shows have received regional Emmy Awards, and all four have been picked up for national distribution.
Interest in the human condition
Hallberg’s most recent project is a documentary short called "How to Care," made with his production company, Hippocrates Cafe Productions. It has been submitted to a number of film festivals including Sundance, South by Southwest, and Aspen Shortsfest.
“We cannot lose sight of what we call the ‘art of medicine,’ the interest in the human condition, storytelling, being curious, being empathetic,” Hallberg said in a recent interview. “I also believe that integration of art into our healing spaces is really important. I think it helps patients, caregivers, and staff alike.”
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn more—firsthand from the doctor, himself—about Hallberg’s lifelong dedication to the art and science of medicine.
Register now for this free Zoom webinar at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 17.
—Ron Matross, UMRA Membership and Communication Committee chair
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Jon Hallberg, MD, is the creative director of the U of M Medical School’s Center for the Art of Medicine and medical director of the M Physicians Mill City Clinic in Minneapolis. For UMRA’s September 17 Living Well Workshop he will talk about his lifelong effort to embody the art of medicine in all that he does.
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