Professional Formation in the Gross Anatomy Lab and Narrative Medicine: An Exploration

Abstract

As an early and important experience in medical education, dissection in the gross anatomy lab is a locus of professional formation. Because students often think of their professional development in evolving, narrative terms, the authors propose that close attention to these narratives might add to understanding of professional formation in progress. They solicited written reflections from students, to explore ways that both the content and form of written reflections might illuminate themes relevant to professional formation, and to describe some elements of professional formation in the context of one institution (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas). Seventeen students participated in writing sessions and wrote in response to an oral interview transcript and to a poem. Using a reading approach that grew out of the narrative medicine movement, the authors collaboratively engaged the content and form of these written reflections.Students' collection of written reflections was a rich source of information about their experiences in the anatomy lab. Through both content (e.g., expressions of gratitude, transitions, self-awareness) and form (e.g., from less detailed writing to literary playfulness), their writings gave a glimpse into the tensions, disappointments, and satisfactions of the practice of gross anatomy.This project models one way that educators can read and respond to the reflective writing that students generate. The authors go on to propose ways that interactions around reflective writing can be part of a broader goal of forming narrative-minded physicians, who become increasingly self- and other-aware as they progress in their education and practice.

Content and outcomes of narrative medicine programmes: a systematic review of the literature through 2019

“…We observed that the stated goals of NM programmes were not always reflective of the reported evaluation outcomes. Programmes identified a variety of goals, but a striking number did not report actual evaluation results (n=14)34 35 53 54 56 59–62 75 79 80 83 92 or only discussed general participant satisfaction (n=7) 51 58 69 71 72 89 91. We found the evaluation methods and outcomes of many programmes to be insufficiently developed or described.…”

“…During the second screening stage, we read the full texts of records, identifying a further 109 records to exclude due to our discovering on full-text review that they did not meet our established eligibility criteria (figure 1). Following the full-text screening, 61 records qualified for review 15 22 33–89. However, we discovered that several qualifying records addressed identical NM programming efforts at the same institution: that is, 12 records15 22 41 42 44–48 52 70 84 represented 6 programmes.…”

Can CanMEDS competencies be developed in medical school anatomy laboratories? A literature review

“…One, by Shiozawa and colleagues, describe a professionalism seminar that ran concurrently with the anatomy course 61 . A second, by Kissler and colleagues, introduced written reflections on professional themes as part of the anatomy course 62 . Overall, these studies provide some evidence that the anatomy laboratory experience contributes to the development of professional attitudes.…”

Naming the Dead: What information do Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant Anatomy Faculty Share With Students?

“…Clinical Anatomy published a special issue on professionalism and anatomy in 2006 (Pawlina, ), and in 2016 published a special issue on ethics (Tubbs, ). Over the past two decades, many researchers have studied the roles and responsibilities of anatomy faculty, anatomy laboratory content, and laboratory learning processes in developing professional, ethical, caring health care providers for the future (Dyer and Thorndike, ; Escobar‐Poni and Poni, ; Lachman and Pawlina, ; Swartz, ; Swick, ; Moore and Benninger, ; Kissler et al, ; Rehkämper, ). According to Swartz (), the anatomy laboratory is rich with opportunities for fostering student growth in both scientific knowledge acquisition and professional attitudes toward patient care including the importance of accountability, collaboration, respect, and social responsibility.…”