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Abstract: Drawing from a dialogue between Transformative Learning and NarrativeMedicine, Transformative Medicine seeks to expose detrimental power systems and unchallenged assumptions between physician and patient, indoctrinated through medicaleducation, and advocate dialogue and critical reflection around a patient's storied experience to improve the quality of medical interpretations and intervention.

"Narrative Medicine Rounds are lectures or readings presented by scholars, clinicians, or writers engaged in work at the interface between narrative and health care. Podcasts available on ITunes

"There comes a moment when you're forced to step beyond the things you know. It's a split second--an instant adjustment from the safety of recollection to the insecurity of the unknown. Day after day we head into the library, hunching over twice-reviewed notes and hidden behind piles of books yet to be read. We push ourselves to work harder, study longer. We toil knowing that each page holds a secret that might allay suffering or change a life. But at some point, the physiology and pharmacology don't matter. Organ systems and microbiology give way to something different...something more."

"Narratives have always been a vital part of medicine. Stories about patients, the experience of caring for them, and their recovery from illness have always been shared-among physicians as well as among patients and their relatives. With the evolution of "modern" medicine, narratives were increasingly neglected in favor of "facts and findings," which were regarded as more scientific and objective. Now, in recent years medical narrative is changing-from the stories about patients and their illnesses, patient narratives and the unfolding and interwoven story between health care professionals and patients are both gaining momentum, leading to the creation or defining of narrative-based medicine (NBM). The term was coined deliberately to mark its distinction from evidence-based medicine (EBM); in fact, NBM was propagated to counteract the shortcomings of EBM.1,2 But what is NBM? Is it a specific therapeutic tool, a special form of physician-patient communication, a qualitative research tool, or does it simply signify a particular attitude towards patients and doctoring? It can be all of the above with different forms or genres of narrative or practical approach called for depending on the field of application. "

"Limited opportunities may exist for students to develop insight into the challenges faced by doctors and patients presented with challenging or sensitive illness and difficult decisions. The use of patient and doctor narratives to facilitate discussion and encourage reflection on sensitive issues can offer a useful supplement to patient contact."