Creative writing informing reflective practice.

Abstract

Introduction Reflective practice is an established and proven approach to help medical students develop as practitioners. Boud et al (1985), Boyd and Fales (1983), Jarvis (1992) Johns (1995) Gibbs (1992) Last year, creative writing, as opposed to the conventional methods of mentoring, discussion and journal entries, was used to encourage students to reflect on their practice. This required participants to challenge their expectations and employ skills they may not have otherwise used and to look at their approach from a standpoint completely different to the objective mind set with which they were most familiar. Method Second year medical students were asked to recall the comments and phrases used by their patients when taking medical histories and collate them in an original manner. The comments could be repeated for emphasis, structured to show a progression, collated to highlight concerns, arranged to show a continuity or generate a collective impression of patient conduct. In other words, students could exercise their own initiative when it came to organizing the material. Results The resulting evaluation of what they had written highlighted the nature of the relationship between practitioner and patients, allowed the students to appreciate their role more fully and made them consider their approach more deeply. Comments included:- …the writing task allowed me reflect about the patient’s perspective… …I am made more aware and mindful of the patient experience… …being mindful of them as a person, rather than as a disease, is extremely important… …I have also learnt that clear, non-jargonistic explanations are important as a patient who understands his situation is able to cope better… Conclusion Creative writing is a powerful tool with the capacity to provide an added perspective amongst medical students when it comes to their approach and understanding of applying their medical knowledge.