Imagine

CONSIDER…

Tell a story about an experience that raised your ethical attention, your humanistic compassion, your moral imagination. Medical students (and particularly students in LIC programs) have a unique lens into the patient-provider relationship. We’ve all had clinical encounters we grapple with for days, weeks, and months afterwards. Describe a scene from your medical education that continues to haunt, fascinate, or otherwise intrigue you. Spin out the characters, conflicts, ethical tensions, and possible options. Most importantly, we want your thoughts on how you would envision doing things differently or better. How could the situation have been resolved in your ideal healthcare system? What steps can we take today to make your vision a reality?

Recommended Readings:

• Jacobs, Zachary. (2019, June 12). Stories are the Currency of Medicine. STAT News.

• Rash, Ron. (2009). The Ascent (short story). Narrative presents a beautiful opportunity to “encounter the other”…this short piece by Ron Rash is an example of how storytelling can bring readers into the world of an often marginalized patient population.