PracticingwhatwePreach:TeachingCompassionthroughExperiencesintheHumanitiesLaurenKascakMS,CelestineWarrenBA

GeiselSchoolofMedicineatDartmouth,Hanover,NH

Themes

Methods

• Centerselfandreflectthroughengagementwiththehumanities

• Peertopeerlearningandteaching• Cultivateasenseofwonderandawe• No“RightAnswer”• Celebratediversityofbackgroundsandinterpretationsof

artwork• Developtrusttoshareandoffervulnerability• Usethehumanitiesasaspringboardandmediumtocelebrate

anddevelopcompassionforourselves,ourcolleagues,andourpatients

WithAppreciation

Rodis FellowshipinCompassionateCare

Dr.MarthaMcDaniel

Dr.JoeO’Donnell

SittingwithSilence

EmbracingAmbiguity

ToleratingUncertainty

MakingSpaceforNew

Perspectives

FacetsOf

Compassion

Practiceinthe

Humanities

“Practice”in

Compassion

CloselookingexerciseonLaetitiaSoulier’s exhibitFractalArchitecture,ledbyHoodMuseumCurator,VivianLadd.

Medicalschoolprovidesanidealtimeandculturefordevelopingfuturephysicians’capacitiestotolerateambiguity,reflecton,andrespondtodiscomfort.Itisalsoatimewhenself-reflection,mindfulness,andcompassioncanbemodeledtostudentsbytheirmentorsandlearnedthroughpeercollaboration.

Art isamediumwhichcanbeusedtoencouragereflectionamongmedicalstudentsinawaythatisaccessible.Wecameupwith4keyfacetsofcompassionwhichwestrivedtopracticethroughengagementwiththehumanitieswithourcolleagues.

Model

Abstract

Introduction

Engagementwiththehumanitiesoffersanopportunitytohoneskillsofcompassion.Throughtwoworkshops,wecreatedspaceformedicalstudentstoengagewithartworksinthecommunity.Togetherwepracticedacceptingsilence,toleratingambiguity,openingtodifferentperspectives,andhumility.

As2016-2017 Rodis Fellows,wefacilitatedthefollowingworkshopsforfirstyearGeiselstudents:• CloselookingexerciseattheHoodMuseum’s2016photography

exhibit.FollowedbyconversationsandcreativewritingoncompassionatecarewithDrs.JoeO’DonnellandStephenPlume

• NarrativeMedicineworkshopandreflectiononCharles Bukowski’s poem“Bluebird”.Followedbydiscussionaroundself-careinmedicineandcompassionatecareforothers.

• Engagementwiththehumanitiesprovidedameanstoindirectlypracticeskillsthatcontributetocompassionatecare.

• Studentswerechallengedandmovedtousethehumanitiesasaspringboardfordeeperconversationsaboutcompassionandmedicine.

• Studentsreportedfeelingcalm,aware,atpeace,inspired,andintrospectiveattheendoftheworkshops.

• Wesuccessfullycollaboratedwithpeopleinoursurroundingcommunitieswhoshareaninterestinthehumanities.

Outcomes