Medical Humanities Scholars
Program Description:
The Medical Humanities Scholars Program is a learning experience that utilizes conference calls to provide up to ten medical students with the opportunity to consider how medicine, disease, and physicians are viewed, and to write and reflect on the intersections between these arenas. This year’s theme is “Becoming a Physician-Writer,” with discussions led by notable physician writers: Perri Klass, Danielle Ofri, David Watts, Emily Transue, Theresa Zink, and Audrey Young. Attendance and participation in conference calls, selected readings on humanities in medicine, and writing short essays will determine satisfactory completion of the program. Implementation of a specific medical humanities project at each participant's school will be expected.
Program Timeline:
November 2009 - March 2010. There will be a total of 10 1.5-hour conference calls, held at 7 pm EST, twice a month.
Program Schedule:
- Nov 12 - Audrey Young - “A fresh take on old stories” - the classic plots of physician writing; how to rise above a cliched storyline
- Nov 27 - David Watts - “The Physician-poet”
- Dec 9 (at 9 p.m EST) – Danielle Ofri – “The importance of literary community”
- Dec 17 - Theresa Zink - “How, when, where, why of writing as a medical student/doctor”
- Jan 12 - Perri Klass - “The intersection of writing and medicine: interviewing skills and the narrative”
- Jan 28 - Audrey Young - “Beyond the first draft: editing your work”
- Feb 11 - Theresa Zink - “Writing and professionalism”
- Feb 25 - Perri Klass - “How to tell a medical story” (Drama? Fiction? Nonfiction?)
- March 18 - David Watts - “The art of medicine in medical education”
- March 29- Emily Transue
Application Process:
Applications are available online, resume required, phone interviews for final decision. There will be rolling acceptances until a final deadline of October 29, 2009. If accepted, there will be a $30 tuition fee for participation. All participants must be AMSA members.
Accepted Scholars are highly encouraged to attend AMSA’s National Convention (March 10-14, 2010) to meet with some of our physician-writers, AMSA leadership, and fellow Scholars.
Selection Criteria:
Interest, commitment to the field, and quality of application.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this institute, participants will be able to…
Knowledge
- Articulate how the humanities enrich and lend perspective to the medical field
Skills
- Integrate experiences from this program (e.g. books read, prose/poetry written, discussions had) into their practice/thinking of medicine
- Cogently discuss, write, and/or otherwise express views, feelings, and thoughts on the practice of medicine/experiences with patients utilizing the humanities
- Successfully explore issues of debate within medicine from an ethical and humanistic perspective
Attitudes
- Acknowledge the human experience in the processes of healing and dying
- View the practice of medicine as integration between science and humanities
Participant Expectations:
- Maintain attendance (attendance is critical due to the small number of scholars and calls)
- Read the selected readings ahead of the call
- Participate in conference calls, in discussion, and in writing exercises while on the call
- Sponsor an event or project at your school that highlights medical humanities
Apply online!
Please contact Andrea Wershof Schwartz or Aliye Runyan with questions.