Narrative Medicine Workshops Promote Empathy and Humanistic Development in First-Year Medical Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Authors

  • Sophie Kaiserin MS, California University of Science and Medicine, USA
  • Brian Spivack MD, California University of Science and Medicine, USA

Keywords:

Narrative Medicine, Medical Education, Empathy, Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Empathy is a cornerstone of effective medical care, associated with improved patient outcomes, satisfaction, and physician well-being. Despite its importance, studies demonstrate that empathy declines during medical training, including in the preclinical years. Narrative Medicine (NM), which cultivates narrative competence—the ability to recognize, interpret, and be moved by patients’ stories—has been shown to support empathy, reflection, and professional identity formation. However, most NM interventions occur over extended periods, posing challenges for integration into time-constrained medical curricula. This mixed-methods study evaluates whether brief Narrative Medicine workshops can enhance empathy in first-year medical students and explores their feasibility for curricular implementation. 

 

Methods: First-year medical students participated in optional 60-minute Narrative Medicine workshops, co-facilitated by an experienced Narrative Medicine practitioner and a physician faculty member. Sessions included an overview of Narrative Medicine, close reading of a poem or short story, prompted reflective writing, and group discussion. Empathy was measured pre- and post-workshop using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Medical Student Version (JSE-S) and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore student experiences and perspectives; transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis with iterative codebook development.  

 

Results: JSE-S empathy scores increased significantly following workshop participation (n=27, p=0.001). Qualitative analysis (n=10) identified themes of workshops facilitating perspective-taking and empathy development, reconnecting students with their sense of purpose in medicine, and cultivating peer connection and community, along with a strong desire for curricular integration. 

 

Conclusion: Narrative Medicine workshops were associated with increased empathy among first-year medical students and represent a feasible, promising approach to fostering humanistic development in medical education. Larger, longitudinal studies are warranted to evaluate the durability of these effects.

References

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Published

2026-08-19

How to Cite

Kaiserin , S., & Spivack , B. (2026). Narrative Medicine Workshops Promote Empathy and Humanistic Development in First-Year Medical Students: A Mixed-Methods Study. International Journal of Medical Students. Retrieved from https://ijms.pitt.edu/IJMS/article/view/4912

Issue

Forthcoming

Section

Abstracts of the WCMSR

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Copyright (c) 2026 Sophie Kaiserin

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