Narrative Medicine Program

Narrative medicine is “medicine practiced with these skills of recognizing, absorbing, interpreting, and being moved by the stories of illness.” This definition by Dr. Rita Charon harkens back to William Osler himself, who once advised his acolytes that “nothing will sustain you more potently than the power to recognize in your humdrum routine, as perhaps it may be thought, the true poetry of life.”

Narrative medicine curricula have been shown to increase trainee identification with peers and the profession, improve work satisfaction and sense of wellness, and deepen empathy for and connection to patients. The narrative medicine group, which is led by faculty member (C. Nicholas Cuneo, M.D., M.P.H.), covers a variety of topics such as narrative advocacy; personal disclosure; close reading of text; imagination and fiction; the ethics of storytelling; writing about grief and suffering; empathy and burnout; developing a public platform; and the publishing process. Typical activities include workshopping participants’ pieces; engaging in structured writing exercises; reviewing and critiquing published work; and interacting with guest authors, whom the narrative medicine group sponsors on a semiannual basis. Monthly sessions take place in the evening hours and include dinner for all participants.