[Narrative medicine practice for dental students during clinical internship]

To explore the effect of narrative medicine teaching practice on the narrative ability and empathy ability of dental interns and establish an effective narrative medicine teaching system.

From June 2022 to May 2023, atotal of 34 dental undergraduate students participating in clinical practice were divided into two groups, with 14 students in experimental group and 20 in control group. During clinical internships, the experimental group took narrative medicine into practice including theoretical lectures, close reading, parallel chart, seminars and so on. Interpersonal Reactivity Index(IRI) was used to evaluate the empathy of the students in the two groups, and a questionnaire survey was conducted on the narrative medicine practice of the experimental group. SPSS 12.0 software package was used for data analysis.

The total score and module scores of empathy scale in the experimental group did not change significantly after the practice compared with before the practice. The score of "personal distress" module in the control group decreased significantly after the practice (P＜0.05), indicating that students in the control group who did not receive narrative education had a decrease in empathy after clinical practice. The questionnaire and parallel charts reflected that the interns' narrative ability and the understanding for medical psycho-social factors of experimental group students had been enhanced.

Narrative medicine practice is helpful to improve narrative ability and empathy ability, cultivate professional quality and ease the doctor-patient relationship. It should be continuously promoted during the dental undergraduate teaching and dentist's practicing career.