1) What is one powerful aspect of Narrative Medicine that you will take away from this course? How do you see yourself using this information in the future?
From this class I learned that Narrative Medicine is an extremely powerful tool used to efficiently heal. This art of healing has many powerful aspects, however, it was powerful that Narrative medicine took in part the feelings and emotions of the health care provider. Narrative Medicine allows the health care provider a chance to connect with their patients, allows mistakes to be understood, and allows the health care provider to have emotions toward the situation. A lot of the times, providers are continually expected to hide their emotions. Narrative Medicine allows physicians to become more human. In the future, I see myself implicating Narrative Medicine as I interact with future patients. I will allow myself to connect with these patients and allow my emotions to expel at times, and not be so hidden.
2) What did you learn about healing in general?
Healing doesn’t stop with applying a cast, putting a Band-Aid on, or stitching up a wound from a a surgery. Healing begins with the tangible injuries, but ends with healing the mind. It seems in a typical health care setting that the mind is not thoroughly a priority when it comes to healing. A patient’s mind may be burdened by pain, sorrow, anxiety and fear after a tragic accident or diagnosis. Healing involves noticing these emotions, and allowing the patient to release, channel, and understand and these emotions.
3) What did you learn about yourself (in general or as a future healthcare practitioner)?
I learned that it’s okay to be emotional and that it’s okay to connect emotionally with people. Those who know me think of me as someone who is not a very emotional person. I always tend to keep my emotions to myself, and remain closed off. However, I learned that it’s okay to become emotional with others. It’s rather healthy to allow oneself to release the anger, fear, anxiety, or depression that is hiding away in the depths of the mind. I’ve seen myself allowing people to expel their emotions upon me, as well. I’ve been beginning to find a satisfaction when helping my friends get through difficult situations by creating a comfortable atmosphere in which they feel safe enough to tell me all that is going through their mind. As a future healthcare provider I will do just this- create a setting between my patients and I in which they feel optimally comfortable to share their deepest thoughts with me.
4) How did you grow as a writer, a reader, and/or a critical thinker?
I’ve allowed myself to become included within my writing. Coming into this class, I was driven down by academic papers and research articles to the point where I was completely distanced from my writing. Although it was difficult at first, I’ve learned that it’s okay to put myself within my own writing. I’ve learned to not only connect with my writing and include myself in my papers, but also connect with others and their writing. I’ve been more commonly putting myself in another person’s shoes from stories I’m reading from other classes, as well. I’ve found myself making more connections with other people’s stories and pieces, which even helps these pieces become more meaningful to me.
5) Explain why you chose the sample essay you included in your ePortfolio. What does it demonstrate about your learning and growth this semester?
The essay I chose was the first essay, the personal narrative. I wrote about two situations involving a medical encounter that still linger on with me today. However, in writing this essay, I was able to personally heal by allowing myself to create a story from my thoughts and emotions. I thought that this essay is a perfect example of how anyone can use Narrative Medicine to process their emotions, thoughts, and mind- and then to create meaning from the words in which they wrote. This essay shows the barrier that I broke with my writing. I felt as if I didn’t leave anything out as I put my emotions towards the surface. And from that, I have been able to heal from these two instances as I created meaning of my own from my writing in this essay.
