[Can narrative medicine be an answer to patient physician relationship teaching according to students' demand in medical education curricula?]. / L'enseignement de la médecine narrative peut-il être une réponse à l'attente de formation des étudiants à la relation médecin-malade ?

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Coming from literature and medicine and medical humanities north American seminars, narrative medicine has applied narratology for analyzing patients' discourse and has been taught during a decade. METHODS: At Paris Descartes School of Medicine a twenty-hour narrative medicine elective program including whole class lectures and writing and reading small group exercises for second year medical students has been assessed using satisfaction questionnaires. RESULTS: Although several students were uncomfortable with the first writing and reading exercises, the whole satisfaction scores demonstrate that this new program is very well appreciated even when students did not choose this program because they were interested with the patient physician relationship. These results have been confirmed when all students state this program should be continued and when half of them state this program should be offered to more students or made mandatory. DISCUSSION: The primary focus on literary characteristics of patients' and physicians' discourses, without ignoring psychoanalysis theory, has shown to be safe for young students. Writing exercises are encouraged but not mandatory, and reading is optional if ever they feel embarrassed after producing their own texts. Narrative medicine impact on students' attitudes and behaviors has now to be assessed before implementing new educational programs.