Exploring Context and Philosophy in Curriculum: Reflecting on the Film Wit

Note. From Wit [Film poster], n.d., IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243664/mediaviewer/rm648553217/?ref_=tt_ov_i

For this reflection, I chose the film Wit (Nichols, 2001). The movie follows Professor Vivian Bearing, an English literature professor, as she experiences metastatic stage IV ovarian cancer. Although the film focuses on a patient’s experience with serious illness and treatment, it connects with health professional education. It highlights elements of a behaviourist philosophy guiding teaching practices across different disciplines portrayed in the film, such as medicine and language arts (Kay & Kibble, 2016; Nichols, 2001). At the same time, Nurse Susie’s prioritization of human dignity, comfort, and personal connection over research gains reflects a more humanistic philosophy (Melrose et al., 2020; Nichols, 2001). The film highlights how such clinical environments can privilege technical knowledge, efficiency, hierarchy, and biomedical decision-making, while patient voice, dignity, emotion, and human connection can become less visible (Nichols, 2001).

This reflection prompted me to consider curriculum design in health professional education. Curriculum is not only about what content is taught, but also about the values and assumptions that shape how future health professionals learn to practise (Melrose et al., 2020). These are the same professionals who may one day be responsible for our own health care. This movie also made me think about the hidden curriculum in health education (Melrose et al., 2020). If learners repeatedly observe care that is technically competent but emotionally distant, they may come to see this as normal professional behaviour. A more humanistic and patient-centred curriculum would need to intentionally teach communication, compassion, reflection, and attention to patients’ lived experiences, alongside clinical knowledge and procedural competence (Melrose et al., 2020).

One line from Professor Vivian Bearing stood out to me:

The young doctor, like the senior scholar, prefers research to humanity. At the same time, the senior scholar,  in her pathetic state as a simpering victim, wishes the young doctor would take more interest in personal contact. Now, I suppose we shall see how the senior scholar ruthlessly denied her simpering students the touch of human kindness she now seeks (Nichols, 2001, 56:36).

This quote stood out because it shows how educational philosophies and hidden curriculum messages can shape professional behaviour (Melrose et al., 2020; Nichols, 2001). It also suggests that intentional curriculum review and renewal, guided by contemporary educational philosophy, may help make compassion, dignity, and human connection more visible in health professional education (Melrose et al., 2020; Oermann, 2019).

References

Kay, D., & Kibble, J. (2016). Learning theories 101: Application to everyday

teaching and scholarship. Advances in Physiology Education, 40(1), 17–25. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00132.2015

Melrose, S., Park, C., & Perry, B. (2020). Centring human connections in the

education of health professionals. Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771992855.01

Nichols, M. (Director). (2001). Wit [TV movie]. HBO Films; Avenue

Pictures. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243664/

Oermann, M. H. (2019). Curriculum revision: Making informed decisions. Nurse

Educator, 44(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000630

Wit [Film poster]. (n.d.). IMDb.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243664/mediaviewer/rm648553217/?ref_=tt_ov_i