An Exploratory Study of a Fourth-Year Narrative Medicine Elective: Promoting Strategies for Personal Well-Being and Improved Patient Care.

Objectives: Narrative medicine promotes the effective practice of medicine by requiring clinicians to listen to, reflect on, and manage not only the physiology of disease but also patient stories. The Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine offers a narrative medicine elective to fourth-year students who participate in reading, writing, and discussion activities that focus on processing their medical school experiences. This study evaluated the potential roles of this course in promoting strategies for personal well-being and improved patient care.