Syllabi: The Physician as Writer

INSTITUTION: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

PRESENTERS: Martin Kohn, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Behavioral Sciences and Director, Human Values in Medicine Program, NEOUCOM and William Pomidor, M.D., 1986 NEOUCOM graduate, freelance medical editor and fiction writer

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Martin Kohn, Ph.D., Director of the Human Values in Medicine Program (email: mfk@neoucom.EDU)

ENROLLMENT: BS/MD; selective; limit: 12

SEMESTER: Spring 2000
April 18, 20, 25, 27, May 2, 4, 9, 11 (Tuesday/Thursday afternoons 1:00 - 5:00 p.m)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
From their positions as scientists, observers, poets, and storytellers, physicians have sought to share their perceptions of health and illness, the natural world, and society at large. For physician-writers, the urge to share their privileged insights is more compelling than the constraints of time and energy which their chosen profession places upon them. This course will sample the diverse writings of contemporary physicians, from scientific observation through prose and poetry and even popular fiction and screenplays. To enhance our understanding of "how they do it," the class will feature appearances by guest poets and novelists, and also first-hand study of the creative process through writing exercises and workshop-style instruction.

LEARNING GOALS:
1) To learn how and why physicians write
2) To sample the wide range of physician-writings
3) To examine different writing styles as they pertain to the variety of work produced by physician-writers
4) To apply these different writing styles through exercises in outlining, plotting, and creating a finished piece

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: Discussion in large and small groups

OUTLINE:

Introduction

Overview of course

Sampling from all areas (stories, poetry, narrative, essays):
Shafer, "Gurney Tears"
Jones, "Anorexia"
Klass, "Endings"
Canin,"Emperor of the Air"
Selzer, Stone Schneider, and Borgenicht, "Physician-Writers in Dialogue"
Conley,"Chapter 1" from Walking Out on the Boys

Thursday, April 20

Stories:
Mates,"Laundry"
Selzer,"Brute"
Williams,;"A Face of Stone"

Introduction to fiction writing and plotting

Guest presenter: Dr. William Davis

Works from specialty settings:
Massad,"Healers"
Shem,"HMO, DSM, Goodwill Toward Men"
Flores,"Debriding the Wounds"
Yalom,"Fat Lady"
Various poems on "Tools of the Trade"

Introduction to poetry writing

Thursday, April 27

Medicine and the Art of Self-Editing: Medical Writing

Poetry workshop

Guest presenter: TBA

Viewing and discussion of Coma or alternate movie

Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop

Mind Over Murder

Conference call with Tess Gerritsen

Harvest

Writing Workshop

Thursday, May 11 (3 hours)

Lunch and participant readings

REQUIREMENTS: Reading and writing assignments

READING LIST: A course packet and the following books will be distributed in class or are available in the HVM office:

Blood & Bone, Angela Belli & Jack Coulehan, eds., Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1998
Harvest, Tess Gerritsen, New York: Pocket Books, 1996
Mind Over Murder, Bill Pomidor, New York: Signet, 1998
Where Water Begins, John Stone, Baton Rouge: Louisiana University Press, 1998
Emperor of the Air, Ethan Canin, New York: Harper & Row, 1988

HVM CREDITS: 20