Storytelling: A learning tool to enhance medical students’ empathy, attentive listening, clinical curiosity and reflection

Pattanaik, Dibyajyoti, Purvis, Emma and Jeffrey, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7575-856X (2024) Storytelling: A learning tool to enhance medical students’ empathy, attentive listening, clinical curiosity and reflection. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. pp. 1-5. ISSN 1478-2715; eISSN 2042-8189

Abstract

Listening to stories of sickness lies at the heart of the patient–doctor relationship. Storytelling serves as a powerful learning tool fostering empathy, attentive listening, clinical curiosity and reflection, key elements of narrative competence. The patient’s story, their history, forms the fundamental core of diagnosis, and their emotions are central to crafting appropriate treatment plans that address their true concerns. This study reviews the benefits of storytelling as a learning tool, particularly in enhancing empathy, attentive listening, clinical curiosity and reflection within medical education. It also describes a practical workshop that demonstrates how storytelling can be utilised to inspire students to develop narrative competence in a supportive learning environment. Since the stories draw on participants’ clinical experience, in both primary and secondary care, the article aims to engage clinicians involved in medical education and the teaching of communication skills.

Actions (login required)

View Item