Elective course “Medicine in Literature” as a means of medical students’ professional ethical culture formation

The article considers the pedagogical conditions that ensure the effectiveness of the formation of professional and ethical culture of students in medical specialties. The medical humanities have an important role to play in the humanization of medical education and practice. The authors believe that humanitarian training of medical students should occupy a sufficient place in their educational process; literature in particular can contribute to the formation of a humane specialist. The role of literature is to develop medical students’ abilities to listen, interpret, and communicate. Besides, literary works stimulate students’ sensitive appreciation of the ethical dimensions of medical practice and their critical thinking skills. These abilities and skills are of significant importance for the patient care quality. The elective course «Medicine in Literature» integrated into the medical education at Lobachevsky University is aimed at fostering necessary in the profession humanistic qualities such as mercy, responsiveness, sympathy, empathy. Conducted questionnaire survey among the medical students at Lobachevsky University proved the necessity of developing of professionally significant humanistic personality qualities through the study of literature.