Part of understanding a patient’s condition is taking a history—hearing about a person’s life and really listening.
That’s why second-year medical students Elise Barberis, Eugene Kim, Maya Singh and Ivy Yip are passionate about making storytelling part of the medical school experience.
“It can only make us better clinicians,” Kim said.
They are organizing a Story Slam event, “Lost and Found: Stories of Gains, Losses and Growth,” on Sept. 27 to encourage members of the Pitt Med community to share stories.
“Listening to others' experiences and sharing mine helps me make sense of difficult situations and celebrate personal and professional joys," said Yip.
The event grew out of an “Intro to Being a Physician” session they took when they started medical school, in which students discussed their experiences in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
They started holding “In Your Own Words” events to allow students to talk about themes like thankfulness, discomfort or love.
Last year they invited Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine, to tell a story of his own, billed as “My Why.” “He shared a story from an emotional, personal space,” Barberis said. “I walked away with so much personal respect for him as a human being. It was a real gift to have him there.”
Kim added, “people have so much going on every day,” but these events are an opportunity to exchange “real, honest, vulnerable, victorious stories.”
At the Story Slam, stories are expected to be about five minutes each. The event is open to all trainees, faculty and staff in the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC and will be held in Room 1105 of Alan Magee Scaife Hall on Sept. 27 from 7-9 p.m. CME credits will be available.
“We look forward to fostering connection and understanding at our Story Slam,” Singh said. “I hope we can elevate stories that often go unheard.”
Those who are new to storytelling can attend a free workshop on Sept. 13 from 1:15-2:15 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center of Alan Magee Scaife Hall as part of Med Ed Day.
To submit a story: https://forms.gle/zGE6hin6adEjyAqT6
To RSVP: https://forms.gle/p3D3w5rTKwJ8k7Ma9