Creative Writing and Narrative Medicine

In this interdisciplinary course, we’ll explore how stories shape how we think about people, illness, and care. What can a person’s story reveal that a chart, test, or diagnosis cannot? By reading fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, we’ll examine how people make sense of experiences that can be difficult to communicate and understand, from pain and illness to uncertainty and loss. Class discussion and writing assignments, both reflective and creative, will connect these questions to issues in healthcare and help students become more attentive listeners and thoughtful communicators.