practicing what we preach: teaching compassion through ...€¦ · practicing what we preach:...

Practicing what we Preach: Teaching Compassion through Experiences in the Humanities Lauren Kascak MS, Celestine Warren BA Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH Themes Methods • Center self and reflect through engagement with the humanities • Peer to peer learning and teaching • Cultivate a sense of wonder and awe • No “Right Answer” • Celebrate diversity of backgrounds and interpretations of artwork • Develop trust to share and offer vulnerability • Use the humanities as a springboard and medium to celebrate and develop compassion for ourselves, our colleagues, and our patients With Appreciation Rodis Fellowship in Compassionate Care Dr. Martha McDaniel Dr. Joe O’Donnell Sitting with Silence Embracing Ambiguity Tolerating Uncertainty Making Space for New Perspectives Facets Of Compassion Practice in the Humanities “Practice” in Compassion Close looking exercise on Laetitia Soulier’s exhibit Fractal Architecture, led by Hood Museum Curator, Vivian Ladd. Medical school provides an ideal time and culture for developing future physicians’ capacities to tolerate ambiguity, reflect on, and respond to discomfort. It is also a time when self-reflection, mindfulness, and compassion can be modeled to students by their mentors and learned through peer collaboration. Art is a medium which can be used to encourage reflection among medical students in a way that is accessible. We came up with 4 key facets of compassion which we strived to practice through engagement with the humanities with our colleagues. Model Abstract Introduction Engagement with the humanities offers an opportunity to hone skills of compassion. Through two workshops, we created space for medical students to engage with art works in the community. Together we practiced accepting silence, tolerating ambiguity, opening to different perspectives, and humility. As 2016-2017 Rodis Fellows, we facilitated the following workshops for first year Geisel students: • Close looking exercise at the Hood Museum’s 2016 photography exhibit. Followed by conversations and creative writing on compassionate care with Drs. Joe O’Donnell and Stephen Plume • Narrative Medicine workshop and reflection on Charles Bukowski’s poem “Bluebird”. Followed by discussion around self-care in medicine and compassionate care for others. • Engagement with the humanities provided a means to indirectly practice skills that contribute to compassionate care. • Students were challenged and moved to use the humanities as a springboard for deeper conversations about compassion and medicine. • Students reported feeling calm, aware, at peace, inspired, and introspective at the end of the workshops. • We successfully collaborated with people in our surrounding communities who share an interest in the humanities. Outcomes

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Page 1: Practicing what we Preach: Teaching Compassion through ...€¦ · Practicing what we Preach: Teaching Compassion through Experiences in the Humanities Lauren Kascak MS, Celestine

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