Narrative medicine

Beyond attempts to reach accurate diagnoses,[3] it aims to address the relational and psychological dimensions that occur in tandem with physical illness.

Specific preparation is in this direction much more difficult; one must rely for the requisite insight and sympathy on a varied and enlarging cultural experience.

From the 1990s, physicians such as Rachel Naomi Remen[6] and Rita Charon, who also holds a doctorate in English literature, argued that medical practice should be structured around the narratives of patients.

[7] In 2000, Rita Charon first used the term 'Narrative Medicine' to describe a method of using what she calls "narrative competence," which is "the capacity to recognize, absorb, metabolize, interpret, and be moved by stories of illness.

[14] A broader field is the use of narrative in general in helping doctors and patients deepen understanding of the ways of relating to illness and healing.

Two first year medical students at Lewis Katz School of Medicine writing/journaling about their experiences in the hospital.