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Related Experiment Videos

Getting from how to why: a pause for reflection on professional life

M C McEntyre1

  • 1Department of English, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA.

Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
|January 22, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Physicians can combat burnout by pausing to read poetry. This practice renews purpose, fosters playfulness, and restores a deeper connection to the healing arts.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Humanities
  • Poetry Therapy

Background:

  • Institutional life and daily demands in medicine can lead to a loss of purpose.
  • Chronic overload and bureaucratic obstacles erode professional spirit and energy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore poetry as an antidote to professional "drained state" among physicians.
  • To highlight poetry's role in restoring a sense of purpose and the lifegiving aspects of medical practice.

Main Methods:

  • The author reflects on the practice of "stopping" to read and reflect on poetry during the workday.
  • Analysis of how poetry can "defamiliarize the familiar" and offer fresh perspectives.

Main Results:

  • Poetry reading can awaken playfulness, childlike curiosity, and a renewed awareness of feelings.
  • Reflecting on poetry can provide a corrective to thoughtless or "bloodless" responses.
  • Poetry can restore a connection to the sacred, enhancing the wider vision and deeper purposes in medicine.

Conclusions:

  • A brief pause for poetry offers a unique form of renewal for healthcare professionals.
  • Integrating poetry into the daily routine can help physicians reconnect with the spirit and energy of their work.
  • Poetry's restorative power can enhance the patient-physician relationship and the overall practice of medicine.

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