The Art and Science of Narrative Medicine April 21-23 2023

A basic workshop held April 21-23, 2023 at Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Join us for our our first basic workshop held in-person at Columbia University Irving Medical Center since 2019!

Come spend the weekend with us in New York for an immersive and intimate introduction to narrative medicine theory and practice, and myriad ways these applied creative skills impact community, justice, and care!

Click Here for Details and Registration!

Workshop Description & Objectives

This workshop aims to give an intensive introduction to the field of narrative medicine, with special focus on the foundational theory and pedagogy that supports narrative medicine work. The workshop will report how rigorous narrative medicine interventions can be applied in myriad settings within and beyond healthcare with outcomes that include community building, social justice, creative practices, and empathic care.

Our intensive workshop content will provide an immersive introductory experience to the methods and skills of narrative medicine and will offer rigorous skill-building in narrative practices. Interactive presentations by Division of Narrative Medicine faculty, including co-authors of Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine, will combine with group discussions, creative projects, and transformative small group work. New developments in narrative theory and practice that have emerged since the 2017 publication of Principles will be presented and discussed.

Narrative medicine recognizes the aesthetic capabilities of its practitioners as fundamental instruments necessary for effective care. Acts of perception and attention ignite our narrative practice. Seeing, hearing, sensing, taking in that which we witness begins the process toward healing, and narrative medicine training attunes us to those skills within ourselves. We grow toward our own powers to attend to our patients through the schooled avenues of close reading, deep listening, and concentrated witnessing of works of art.

This intensive workshop will offer rigorous skill-building in narrative competence and provides an intensive introductory experience to the methods and skills of narrative medicine. These practices are then applicable to unlimited clinical and non-clinical settings. Participants will experience plenary presentations by the founders of the Division of Narrative Medicine and will engage with faculty and each other for interactive presentations, Q&A, and small group work. Participants will learn effective techniques for attentive listening, adopting others’ perspectives, accurate representation, and reflective reasoning. Plenary presentations by faculty open up themes of how stories and art work, exploring concepts such as creativity, ethics, bearing witness, and empathy, while the small groups practice rigorous skills in close reading, creative writing, and responding to the writings of others. Close reading is an integral part of the workshop as is short prompted writing and discussion. Participants will gain access to online resources prior to the start of the workshop where all information necessary and required to prepare for the weekend is provided, including literary texts, film, visual art, and seminar articles in the field of narrative medicine by leading educators.

The Workshop will be held on Friday between 1:30pm-8:00pm, Saturday between 9:00am-5pm and Sunday between 9:00am-4pm (all times Eastern Standard Time). Our preliminary schedule, tuition rates, and featured faculty are on our event page, linked above.