Haifa University in the fall will be offering a bachelor’s degree as a medical clown, prompted by the success of the program which began three years ago. It appears the program is intended for new-comers, not those already working in the field seeking the formal degree.

The combined program will provide training and certification in the areas of psychology, nursing care and of course, the art of medical clowning. This will include the study of theatre and improvisation.

The head of the university’s theatrics department, Etti Citron promises the level of the program is quite professional, and it will equip graduates with the skills to enter the challenging and rewarding field, armed with an academic degree.

Citron adds “there is a tendency to view the profession as less than serious,” but she insists that training is extensive and a graduate must acquire skills in an array of areas, making him suitable to address the challenges of the profession, which deals with challenges of contributing to the well-being and healing process of patients.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)