Ms Michelle Cussens BA, MA
Lecturer in Medical Humanities
Email: michelle.cussens@kcl.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7848 6353
Location: 2.11 Chantler SaIL Centre, Shepherds House, Guy’s
Areas of Responsibility
Lead convenor of the Medical Humanities Programme in undergraduate Medicine delivered in MBBS core-curriculum and student selected modules.
-
‘The Doctor Writer’ a Phase 3 module taught weekly.
-
‘Madness and Literature’ a Phase 2&3 module taught weekly.
-
‘Medicine and Film’ a Phase 4 module taught weekly
-
‘Medicine and Art’ a Phase 2 module taught weekly
-
Personal tutor to Phase 1-2 students
Other Teaching Input
-
Phases 1-5 clinical communication sessions and OSCE examiner
-
Phase 1 Inter-professional Education sessions
-
Coordinator/examiner for other modules including ‘Performing Medicine’ and ‘What is a Body?’
Biography
Michelle joined the clinical communication faculty at King’s in 2001, with an academic background in English Literature (BA, Royal Holloway College) and Theatre Direction/Dramaturgy (MA, RADA/King’s) and since this time has initiated and developed the programme in Medical Humanities in undergraduate Medicine. The programme is designed to address a student’s need to develop their skills towards the ‘whole person’ in medicine and as well as to develop the ‘whole self’. She has designed a series of taught inter-disciplinary modules drawing upon literature, fine art, cinema and drama to develop patient perception, reflective professionalism and clinical communication. She has also been interested in developing a wide range of pedagogical approaches and assessment methods such as short story writing on patient encounters to enhance learning and professional development.
Research Interests
Michelle is currently researching the effect of utilising literary studies and creative writing in medical education and practice.