OCAD University Alumni Relations

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.