The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine

 

Volume 72 Number 5
September 2005		 back to contents

“Writing About Medicine”: An Exercise in Reflection at Mount Sinai (with five samples of student writing)

322-332
Suzanne Feigelson, M.Sc1, and David Muller, M.D.2

From 1Medical Education and 2the Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Address all correspondence to Suzanne Feigelson, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 50 East 98th Street #4F, New York, NY 10029; email: suzanne.feigelson@mssm.edu

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the introduction of a new elective, “Writing About Medicine,” into the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM) curriculum, part of a new trend of developing humanities programs at medical schools. This paper will first survey two exemplary programs at other schools, and discuss their impact on students. It will then detail the development of “Writing About Medicine,” including its purpose and format. Finally, it will present focus group data evaluating the course and elaborate on its role in the MSSM educational process.

KEY WORDS

Humanities, narrative medicine, creative writing, medical education, professionalism.

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