PLA Continues Education and Community Connection with Narrative Medicine Alumni Class
A comment that the staff of the Physicians Leadership Academy (PLA) hears often from their graduates is “I wish this didn’t have to end.” So, the PLA developed Alumni events and an annual retreat to take place a few times a year to keep the education and community environment moving forward.
On December 5th, 2019, PLA alumni piled into the training rooms at the Columbus Medical Association offices for class on Narrative Medicine, taught by Dr. Francis Blais and Diane Brogan-Habash, PhD. Narrative Medicine facilitates relationship building and a deeper understanding of patients and physicians through radical listening, close reading, and expression of personal stories.
PLA Alum, Dr. Dawn Prall had this to say about the class:
“I did not realize how much I would miss the monthly PLA sessions until they stopped. The unfortunate part of graduation is graduation. The community gatherings happen less frequently, but thankfully they become more valuable.
This session on narrative medicine was yet another unique experience, and the first in my post-graduation experience. While storytelling is only a part of the narrative, it is a very important part of what we do as Physicians. Learning to hear the real story is more important than many other tasks that we do. The listening is often our role in this human connection we make with our patients.
As I reflect more on this most recent alumni event for the Physician Leadership Academy, several things come to mind. A remembrance of the friendships, trust and peace that come with traveling a road together. Growth from the new friendships and new environment that take shape. And a sense of gratitude for the welcome I feel from those around me. In this life that I have chosen which is often fast paced, it is truly valuable to have a space where we slow down in order to be present and focused. Like medicine, this is a practice that only gets better with feedback, self-reflection and time.”
The next alumni event February 11th, 2020 and is on Sanity Beyond the Circle – learn more.