Ricerc@Sapienza

Background and aim of the work: Bioethics is relevant in healthcare and medical schools. However, unlike other foreign countries, its teaching in Italy has only been recently introduced, it is less extensively offered and no academic standards for bioethics education have been established. This research aims at understanding whether university bioethics courses attendees appreciate and consider teaching strategies to be effective with the objective of validating a coherent didactic approach to the discipline and stimulate further discussion on ways to improve it.

Post mortem body donation (PMBD) for medical training and research plays a key role in medical-surgical education. The aim of this study is to evaluate Italian medical students’ awareness and attitudes regarding this practice. A questionnaire was sent to 1781 Italian medical students (MS). A total of 472 MS responded: 406 (92.91%) had a strongly positive attitude to PMBD, while 31 (7.09%) were not in favor. The majority of subjects were Catholic (56.36%), while 185 and 21 subjects, said that they did not hold any religious beliefs, or were of other religions, respectively.

The paper aims to present the experience carried out by the Interfaculty Commission of Medical Education at Sapienza University of Rome. After a mapping of the development of medical education in the Italian context, the actors and activities of the Interfaculty Commission of Medical Education will be described, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the selected case study.

The literature has identified promising findings regarding the application of methodology
using visual art to develop the cognitive skill of observation and description to enhance critical
thinking among medical students. This longitudinal controlled quasi-experimental study aims to
demonstrate that Visual Thinking Strategies method and other art activities are effective in
improving and maintaining the ability to observe, describe and critically interpret artistic or medical

Art can serve as a powerful resource for medical students to both train the so
called “clinical eye” and to better understand disease [1]. Herein a paleopathological
analysis is performed on one of Ruben’s final artworks, “The Three Graces” (1630-
1635; oil on oak panel; 220.5 x 182 cm; Museo del Prado, Madrid). Rubens depicts
the three Graces beside a fountain, under a garland of flowers in a landscape. The
circular rhythm and elegant undulation are based on classical sculpture. Painted

This year, the International Journal “Medicina nei Secoli” – Journal of the History of Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy – inaugurated a special section entitled “Leonardo’s Corner”, dedicated to Medical Humanities and Museums. Medicine remains a combination of art and science. Therefore, the humanism that has always distinguished it from the other sciences must be integrated also into a technical and specialised training.