{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T11:46:52Z","timestamp":1785930412602,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Humanities courses in medical training are increasingly recognized as essential for developing empathetic, reflective and socially responsive physicians. Although well-established globally, their integration into medical education in African contexts remains limited. In Kenya, humanities are often peripheral within curricula dominated by biomedical sciences and clinical medicine. Aga Khan University (AKU), Nairobi, has introduced a novel medical curriculum that embeds seven core humanities courses as central components of the initial phase of its MBChB program. This study explored students\u2019 perceptions and lived experiences of these humanities courses.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A retrospective descriptive study using an embedded mixed-methods design was conducted among the first two cohorts of medical students. Of the 11 courses offered in the first two trimesters, seven were humanities courses, each routinely evaluated following delivery. Evaluation data comprised quantitative closed-ended Likert-scale items and qualitative open-ended responses capturing students\u2019 perceptions of course relevance, delivery and assessment. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke\u2019s six-phase framework to complement and provide explanatory context to the quantitative findings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Students reported overall positive perceptions of the humanities courses, with a mean score of 3.9 (range: 3.7\u20134.2) on a five-point scale. Mean scores were similar across trimesters 1 and 2. Overall, 70.1% (89\/127) of students rated the courses favorably, agreeing or strongly agreeing with positive statements about their learning experiences. Courses perceived as more relevant to medical training and those that were better organized received higher ratings. Key areas for improvement identified by students included increasing opportunities for formative assessment and enhancing consistency and structure in instructional delivery.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Students at AKU reported positive experiences with humanities courses during the first two trimesters of their medical training. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the impact of these courses on learning, professional identity formation and clinical practice in later stages of medical education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/23821205261475566","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T10:09:07Z","timestamp":1785751747000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u201cI Can See Where This Is Taking Me\u201d: Medical Students\u2019 Perceptions of Humanities Courses at Aga Khan University, Kenya"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1121-7929","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catherine","family":"Gathu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, Medical College, East Africa, The Aga Khan University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marthaclaire","family":"Zammit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Medical College, East Africa, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-9791-3608","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Urvi","family":"Saboo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical College, East Africa, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert","family":"Opoka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, Medical College, East Africa, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_6_2_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Weak inclusion of the medical humanities in medical education: a qualitative study among Danish medical students","volume":"22","author":"Assing HE","year":"2022","unstructured":"Assing HE, Uls\u00f8 A, Thorngreen CV, et al. Weak inclusion of the medical humanities in medical education: a qualitative study among Danish medical students. BMC Med Educ. 2022;22:1-11.","journal-title":"BMC Med Educ"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10912-017-9491-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15694\/mep.2018.0000140.1"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_5_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"\u201cAn eye-opener\u201d: a qualitative study of a liberal arts approach to medical education","volume":"25","author":"Abebe B","year":"2025","unstructured":"Abebe B, et al. \u201cAn eye-opener\u201d: a qualitative study of a liberal arts approach to medical education. BMC Med Educ. 2025;25:1-9.","journal-title":"BMC Med Educ"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15694\/mep.2018.0000192.1"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1561504"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMp1113274"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ACM.0000000000002789"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_10_2","volume-title":"Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Core Curriculum","author":"Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council","year":"2022","unstructured":"Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Core Curriculum. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council; 2022."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.52403\/ijrr.20230960"},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_3_6_12_2","first-page":"473","article-title":"Professional identity formation through the humanities: a framework for medical education","volume":"54","author":"Wald HS","year":"2020","unstructured":"Wald HS. Professional identity formation through the humanities: a framework for medical education. Med Educ. 2020;54(6):473-479.","journal-title":"Med Educ"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_6_13_2","first-page":"18","article-title":"Can the medical humanities help foster professionalism and professional identity?","volume":"55","author":"Bleakley A","year":"2021","unstructured":"Bleakley A, Marshall R. Can the medical humanities help foster professionalism and professional identity? Med Educ. 2021;55(1):18-26.","journal-title":"Med Educ"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_14_2","first-page":"222","article-title":"Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world","volume":"399","author":"Frenk J","year":"2022","unstructured":"Frenk J, Chen L, Bhutta ZA, et al. Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. Lancet. 2022;399:222-230.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_3_6_15_2","first-page":"675","article-title":"Humanities in undergraduate medical education: challenges related to assessment","volume":"42","author":"Ousager J","year":"2020","unstructured":"Ousager J, Johannessen H. Humanities in undergraduate medical education: challenges related to assessment. Med Teach. 2020;42(6):675-681.","journal-title":"Med Teach"},{"issue":"7","key":"e_1_3_6_16_2","first-page":"987","article-title":"Assessment of non-technical competencies in medical education","volume":"96","author":"Hodges BD","year":"2021","unstructured":"Hodges BD, Kuper A, Reeves S. Assessment of non-technical competencies in medical education. Acad Med. 2021;96(7):987-993.","journal-title":"Acad Med"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_6_17_2","first-page":"144","article-title":"Faculty development to enhance teaching effectiveness in medical education","volume":"42","author":"Steinert Y","year":"2020","unstructured":"Steinert Y, Mann K, Anderson B, et al. Faculty development to enhance teaching effectiveness in medical education. Med Teach. 2020;42(2):144-153.","journal-title":"Med Teach"},{"issue":"10","key":"e_1_3_6_18_2","first-page":"1423","article-title":"Medical humanities and their discontents","volume":"96","author":"Shapiro J","year":"2021","unstructured":"Shapiro J, Coulehan J, Wear D, Montello M. Medical humanities and their discontents. Acad Med. 2021;96(10):1423-1429.","journal-title":"Acad Med"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_19_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Reconceptualizing assessment in health professions education","volume":"27","author":"Fenwick T","year":"2022","unstructured":"Fenwick T, Dawson S, Nerland M. Reconceptualizing assessment in health professions education. Adv Health Sci Educ. 2022;27:1-15.","journal-title":"Adv Health Sci Educ"},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_3_6_20_2","first-page":"501","article-title":"Experiential learning and assessment alignment in medical education","volume":"54","author":"Yardley S","year":"2020","unstructured":"Yardley S, Teunissen PW, Dornan T. 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