Improvisation in Medicine Landing Hero with Page Title

Stylized music symbols are seen as part of a colorful abstract painting created in 2019 by Joan Concilio of Penn State College of Medicine around the theme of improvisation.

Improvisation in Medicine

Navigation Menu

Improvisation in Medicine Header H2 Basic Content

Fostering Adaptive Expertise to Improve Medical Practice

Improvisation in Medicine Intro Basic Web Content

Medicine is an improvised science. Today’s medical professionals need to adapt to a complex, emergent and dynamic environment that moves in nonlinear ways.

Often, they need to improvise, able to transcend their training and apply expertise in novel and unexpected ways.

This page is devoted to the practice, teaching and research of improvisation in medicine, encompassing lessons learned from a diverse array of fields.

As the project develops, you can expect to find:

  • Relevant books and articles
  • Online courses
  • Ways to connect via social media
  • Links to other resources on medical improvisation

Improvisation Wolpaw Quote Code

Improv is not just about adapting, but about everything we do. So to me, improv is way to think, process and learn – not a goal. Improvisation is at the heart of adaptive expertise – "the art of never arriving."
- Daniel Wolpaw, physician

Improvisation in Medicine What it Looks Like Basic Content H2

How Improvisation and Medicine Come Together

Practice Education Research

Practice

Improvisation is critical for high-quality medical practice. It promotes better decision making, authenticity and presence. It requires practitioners to be mindful and to listen.

See resources on the application of improvisation to medical practice

Education

Improvisation is important both as a target of teaching, and as an educational process.

See resources about teaching improvisation, and about building improvisation into the process of teaching

Research

More work needs to be done to define, characterize and study the outcomes of improvisation in medical practice.

See how to get started and join the community of scholars

Improvisation in Medicine Quote 1

I think it's very important to live in the present. One of the great things that improvising teaches you is the magic of the moment you're in because, when you improvise, you're in right now. You're not in yesterday or tomorrow - you're right in the moment.
- Charlie Haden, jazz musician

Improv Get Connected H2 Header Basic Content

Dig Deeper into Improvisation

Tell Us Explore

Tell Us More

What would you like to see reflected on this website?

Take a one-question survey

Talk on Twitter

Join the conversation about improvisation in medicine on Twitter.

Follow @ImprovInMed

Tweet with #ImprovisationInMedicine

Explore Resources

Want to learn more about improvisation in medicine?

Explore resources

Improvisation Marsalis Quote

Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.
- Wynton Marsalis, jazz musician