Physician and scholar Rita Charon stated that narrative medicine is “medicine practiced with the competence to recognize, absorb, interpret, and be moved by the stories of illness.” At UCSF, we are committed to embodying this approach within healthcare.
What we do
Our Journey and Mission
The roots of narrative medicine at UCSF include a workshop series designed for resident physicians in pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland. Developed as part of the conference curriculum, these workshops have provided invaluable insights into the complex, nuanced lives of our patients and their families. Inspired by these experiences, we created this website to expand upon our work, foster connections across UCSF, and cultivate a space for engagement and dialogue.
A Space for Reflection, Connection, and Growth
Through this platform, we invite the UCSF community to engage with the practice of narrative medicine by sharing and responding to stories, preserving pieces that resonate, and providing feedback that helps us refine and enrich our curriculum. Here, healthcare providers, students, and community members can come together to learn, reflect, and strengthen the bonds that make meaningful healing possible.
Building a Community of Practice
Our program is inspired by the principles of situated learning and communities of practice, bringing together an interdisciplinary network of learners and practitioners. In the spirit of collaboration, we offer opportunities for both virtual and in-person engagement, cultivating a vibrant narrative medicine community at UCSF.
Whether you’re a student, clinician, or community member, we welcome you to join us in this journey—one where each story we hear and share brings us closer to our mission of compassionate, patient-centered care.
Join Us
Through this website, we hope to connect, reflect, and continue weaving narrative medicine into the fabric of UCSF’s healthcare ethos. Together, we are transforming care, one story at a time.
Support our work to inspire healing and connection through narrative medicine—your donation makes a difference.
- Email: [email protected]
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Address:
550 16th St., Box 0110
San Francisco, CA 94158
United States