On Narrative Medicine

I am particularly pleased to note the unveiling of a new Masters degree in narrative medicine at Columbia University.  Here are the details:

Dear Colleague,

It is our pleasure to announce Columbia University's Master of Science in Narrative Medicine (www.ce.columbia.edu/narrativemedicine), which welcomes its first class in the fall. This is the first degree program of its kind, and we are very excited to be able to pioneer this important educational advance.

Columbia University's Program in Narrative Medicine was founded in 2000 as a response to our growing recognition that doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, and other caregivers need to be fortified with the knowledge of how to interpret and respond to their patients' stories. Since then, the program has become a national leader in this innovative and influential model of educating health professionals and caring for patients. 

The new M.S. in Narrative Medicine is ideal for health care professionals and trainees, but is also valuable for those in the humanities and social sciences. The program can be completed in one year of full-time study or over two or more years of part-time study, and can be combined with degree programs in medicine or other fields.

We are confident that it will add an important dimension to the field, and we would like to ask for your support in spreading the word about it. Our upcoming information session in New York City is a great opportunity to learn more, so we hope you can attend.

Date: Monday, April 20, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Satow Room, Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia Campus

RSVP (www.ce.columbia.edu/narrativemedicine

Sincerely,
Rita Charon
Director of the Program in Narrative Medicine

Marsha Hurst
Program Director of the M.S. in Narrative Medicine

Master of Science in Narrative Medicine
School of Continuing Education
Columbia University
www.ce.columbia.edu/narrativemedicine

Rita Charon, of course, is one of the leading scholars in literature & medicine, and I am overjoyed to see such a rich and exciting educational opportunity arise for health care professionals and budding medical humanists alike.  Although narrative studies are not my area of focus within the MH, such work is hugely important to the field, and it gladdens my heart to see the creation of such an exciting program in such a terrific setting.

(h/t AAHM-student-section listserv)