The Keck School of Medicine’s MS in Narrative Medicine provides students with foundations in narrative theory, creative writing, and research methods as they study the ethical, philosophical, and sociocultural foundations of clinical relationships. To develop a nuanced understanding of the complex ways stories work, students will be trained in methods of close reading, attentive listening, and reflective writing in the service of professional development and civic outreach. Students will have the opportunity to learn from community partners and healthcare professionals about the relationship between health and narrative.
Narrative Medicine is looking beyond the illness to the patient themselves. We do that through close reading of art and literature. If you can find a beauty in brokenness in literature and art, perhaps you can see that in the patients you care for.
– Kathy, Class of 2023
A cornerstone of our unique programming is our partnership with local nonprofit and health organizations.
Through training in narrative medicine, students will:
- Cultivate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to bear witness to the experiences and stories of others.
- Apply theories of self-telling, narrative humility, and relationality to professional practice.
- Employ qualitative and mixed methods to enhance research and scholarship.
- Learn tools and approaches for community engagement and health/social justice advocacy.
- Develop AAMC core competencies such as empathy and compassion, interpersonal skills, and service orientation.
- Strengthen critical, creative, and reflective writing skills needed in the workplace or advanced allied degree programs.
“Narrative Medicine enabled me to receive individual stories, learn how to react to them, and respectfully listen, and understand”. – Ven, Class of 2022
View a 25 minute lecture about Narrative Medicine and Humanizing Medicine by one of our Faculty, Jonathan Chou
For information regarding the estimated cost of attendance, please visit the Financial Aid website