Curriculum

The core curriculum of this pioneering M.S. in Narrative Medicine combines intensive exposure to narrative writing and close reading skills, literary and philosophical analysis, and experiential work, with the opportunity to apply this learning in clinical and educational settings. Core courses provide the conceptual grounding for work in narrative medicine, and to introduce the direct practice of teaching narrative competence to others.

Students combine core curriculum work with more focused study of important and current topics in the field. Focused seminars draw on the resources of more than one discipline. Courses rotate to reflect the current concerns, methodologies, and analytic approaches of narrative scholars and practitioners.

To allow students to individualize their professional education in narrative medicine, they may choose two electives from among a wide range of offerings at the University, with advice and approval of the faculty adviser. Electives enable students to gain knowledge in academic disciplines they wish to pursue (e.g., medical anthropology) or in subject areas of special professional interest (e.g., aging).

The Practicum/Independent Study requirement offers a wide range of opportunities for supervised or mentored work : a clinical placement, a program development and/or evaluation project, a scholarly thesis, or a writing project. It may combine independent work with a summer intensive workshop, such as the Columbia University Oral History summer workshop or an intensive writing workshop. Clinical practicums may include teaching, witnessing, attending medical school courses, or serving as a teaching assistant.

All students work closely with a faculty adviser to design a curriculum that best fits their experience, abilities, and needs. Students without clinical experience are expected to fulfill that requirement during the program. Clinical experience includes any direct work with patients or families in a health care program or provider institution. In addition, all students are required to have taken a graduate-level course in research methodology, with a focus on qualitative research and/or evaluative research, either in previous academic experience or as part of their M.S. in Narrative Medicine requirements.