Article Text
PDF
Abstract
Background Narrative Medicine is a powerful tool that helps learners in training critically reflect on experiences that significantly impact their learning journey. The term ‘narrative medicine’ is attributed to Rita Charon, MD, who characterized it as ‘medicine practiced with narrative competence...such as close reading of literature and reflective writing.’1
Since its beginnings as a field, Palliative Medicine has emphasized whole personhood in the clinical encounter. Conceived by a social worker, nurse, and doctor in the form of Dame Cicely Saunders, the nature of palliative medicine focuses on each patient’s humanity and the value of hearing their lived experiences.2 This ethos aligns beautifully with Narrative Medicine, which ‘draws on the study of art and literature to enhance students’ listening and observation skills and to expand their view of patients to encompass more than just medical histories.’3 In both Narrative and Palliative Medicine, patients are recognized for being more than their diagnoses; their stories matter.
The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management recently published an article opining that ‘narrative medicine is the missing ingredient in palliative care training that will allow learners to engage more consciously and fully with their patients, and develop excellent habits of resilience and coping.’4
In this presentation, we will share details and preliminary feedback of a Palliative Medicine curriculum pilot incorporating Narrative Medicine using a Transformative Learning theory.5 Physician learners at UCSF examine essays, art, and poetry that focus on intersectional topics in palliative medicine, utilizing the awareness raised from these works to critically reflect and create new paradigms of understanding. Just as patients in the clinical encounter find empowerment and healing by sharing their narratives, we hope that learners, through reading and reflecting via narrative medicine, can find greater connection, meaning, and empathy.6
Objective 1: Design an innovative Narrative Medicine curriculum for Physician Learners to raise awareness, connection, meaning, and empathy.
Objective 2: Illustrate the natural synchronicity of utilizing Narrative Medicine as a tool in furthering Palliative Medicine Curriculum Development.
Conclusion Palliative Medicine and Narrative Medicine share an ethos of valuing individual perspectives and intersectional positionality. Just as patients find empowerment and healing by sharing their narratives, we hope that learners, through narrative medicine, can find greater connection, meaning, and empathy. We will share preliminary results of a Palliative Medicine curriculum pilot incorporating Narrative Medicine using Transformative Learning theory (figure 1).
References
Charon R. Narrative medicine: A model for empathy, reflection, profession, and trust. JAMA. 2001;286(15):1897–1902.
Richmond C. Dame Cicely Saunders. BMJ. 2005 Jul 23;331(7510):238.
Krisberg K. Narrative medicine: every patient has a story. https://www.aamc.org/news/narrative-medicine-every-patient-has-story, Accessed 9/27/2023.
Lanocha N, Mahoney D. Fostering Humanism Through Stories: A Plea for Narrative Medicine in Palliative Care Education. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2023 Mar;65(3):e229-e231.
Mezirow, J. 1991. Transformative dimensions of adult learning, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Jaqua B, Johnson W, Daniels G, Xi AS. Storytelling and Written Reflection: Tools to Foster Meaning and Connection in Graduate Medical Education Settings. J Grad Med Educ. 2022 Oct;14(5):624–627.