Critical orientations for humanising health sciences education in South Africa.

In this article, the authors make a case for the 'humanisation' and 'decolonisation' of health sciences curricula in South Africa, using as a guiding framework. refers to an education that is built on a consolidated conceptual framework that includes and equally values the natural or biomedical sciences as well as the humanities, arts and social sciences, respecting that all of this knowledge has value for the practice of healthcare. An integrated curriculum goes beyond add-on or elective courses in the humanities and social sciences. It is a curriculum that includes previously marginalised sources of knowledge ; addresses an appropriate intellectual self-image in health sciences education ; promotes understanding of history and social context, centring issues of inclusion, access and social justice and finally, focuses on care and relatedness as an essential aspect of clinical work The article offers a brief historical overview of challenges in health and health sciences education in South Africa since 1994, followed by a discussion of contemporary developments in critical health sciences pedagogies and the medical and health humanities in South Africa. It then draws on examples from South Africa to outline how these four critical orientations or competencies might be applied in practice, to educate health professionals that can meet the challenges of health and healthcare in contemporary South Africa.