Overview

Emphasis on resident well-being has increased in response to physician burnout, with much focus on limiting duty hours, promoting work-life balance, and monitoring mental health. Recently, attention has turned to the roles of shame and vulnerability in professional identity formation and well-being. Shame often arises when individuals internalize triggering events (such as medical errors, test failures, or experiences of microaggressions and discrimination) as reflections of personal inadequacy. If left unaddressed, this shame thrives in secrecy and may lead to isolation, self-doubt, or guilt. Narrative writing, a key element of experiential learning, promotes self-reflection, emotional regulation, self-compassion, and the development of professional identity and interpersonal skills. It offers time and space to explore how one’s environment, thoughts, and feelings shape actions. When shared in confidential, emotionally safe spaces, narratives help break the silence around shame, reduce anxiety and self-criticism, and reframe and empower vulnerability as a strength. These shared reflections foster empathy, connection, and peer support. Faculty play a critical role in guiding learners through difficult experiences, helping them reframe challenges as opportunities for growth, resilience, and gratitude. Narrative writing is a low-cost, accessible tool that supports well-being, courage, humanistic growth and identity formation. In this interactive, experiential workshop, participants will receive an evidence-based overview of narrative medicine’s benefits, engage in a reflective writing exercise, and explore tools to create safe, brave spaces for narrative sharing. A practical framework will be shared to help participants facilitate authentic discussions around shame and vulnerability within their own institutions.

Speakers

SRonda Mourad, MD
Simran Singh, MD
Mukta Panda, MD

Content Track

Wellness

Audience

GME

Program Type

University-Based, Community-Based

Additional Information

Year Published: 2025 - APDIM Fall Meeting 2025