Il fumetto nella formazione medica : il caso della Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Bologna

The article presents the results of an experimental project on the use of comics as teaching methods within the medical schools in Italy. Although Graphic Medicine, namely the use of comics in the healthcare field, is an international established scholarly field, national initiatives are still fragmented, particularly in the educational sector. The results of two graphic based workshops with the students of the School of Medicine and Surgery, within the University of Bologna, show the potential of comics in facilitating the interiorization of students' professional identity and the development of emotional and relational skills. The combination of words and images, as well as the flexibility and the accessibility of comics, allow the development of clinical empathy and foster medical students' socialisation to the norms and values of the future professional role. [Publisher's text].