Narrative Medicine

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The phrase Narrative Medicine was coined by Rita Charon, a medical doctor who also earned a Ph.D. in English. She recognized the power of storytelling to help healthcare professionals connect and empathize with patients. While it is used mostly in the helping professions, the practice of narrative medicine does not require medical training and does not involve therapy; rather, in this approach, writing and creative practices are used to help people connect to each other in a variety of professional settings. Today, there are several formal training programs in narrative medicine around the country and internationally. Some offer facilitation training, while others offer certificates and formal degrees in the approach. Burnett, Leoson, and Buckner-Rodas completed Narrative Medicine Facilitation Training through the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative and utilize the principles of narrative medicine to connect and empathize with students.

The three of us felt narrative medicine added depth to our projects. Though the focus of this exploration is medicine, in the narrative medicine field, medicine means the human body, mind, and soul. Our lessons in narrative medicine facilitator training led us into deeper examinations of empathy, nurturing, mental wellness, and connection. For a more in-depth discussion of narrative medicine and its connection to story-based pedagogy, please listen to episode four of our podcast, “Teaching With Story.”

Examples of Narrative Medicine Activities:

Third Objects & Prompts

Professional Development Opportunities

Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative – Facilitation Training

Columbia University – Professional Development Certificate & Master’s Degree

University of Toronto – Interprofessional Health, Arts & Humanities Certificate

Additional resources

We have cultivated sources shared with us during our facilitator training that encompass the spirit of narrative medicine, help to define it, and explore the connection between storytelling and empathy and connection.

What To Do With Stories: The Sciences of Narrative Medicine by Rita Charon

Why Storytelling is Part of Being a Good Doctor by Jerome Groopman

The Habits of an Improver by Bill Lucas and Hadjer Nacer

An investigation into the efficiency of the “third object” lessons from narrative medicine in the form of art. More than visual literacy: art and the enhancement of tolerance for ambiguity and empathy by Miriam Ethel Bentwich and Peter Gilbey.