Through her role as Director of Arts at Vanderbilt Radiology, Erin Cooke, MD, has connected with a number of radiologists nationally who are also interested in supporting the arts in radiology and medical education. Omer Awan, MD, MPH, CIIP, Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Maryland, shares Dr. Cooke's passion.
While Dr. Cooke has an artistic background in the visual arts, Dr. Awan is an experienced writer. To promote the arts in radiology, they've teamed up to publish a piece in Academic Radiology which explores how the arts can help radiologists and educators. The article, published under the journal's Educational Perspective section, is titled, "Beyond the Gray Scale: Using the Arts to Elevate Our Work in Radiology." It is featured in the September 1, 2022 issue—Volume 29, Issue 9.
“Bringing the arts into our departments and work spaces in radiology can lead to a host of benefits," Dr. Cooke says. "Not only for well-being, but also for fostering of DEI and honing fundamental skills we use every day in radiology.”
In the paper, Dr. Cooke and Dr. Awan not only provide the historical context that links radiology to the arts world, but also outlines strategies that radiologists can use to incorporate visual art, theater and literature into their education repertoire.
