Optimization strategies for presenting a Narrative Medicine Course from the perspective of medical interns: a qualitative study

Narrative medicine was introduced in 2000 as an approach to effective practice and humanism in medicine. A narrative approach was presented as a training course in order to improve the professionalism of medical interns in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The aim of this study was to describe the optimization strategies for presenting a narrative medicine educational program.

This study was conducted qualitatively and with inductive approach in 1399. Medical interns participating in the first course of narrative medicine, including 18 people, were included in the study by purposive sampling. In-depth semi-structured and individual interviews were conducted and data were analyzed using MAXQDA10 software.

Participants included 18 medical interns (10 males and 8 females) with a mean age of 25±0.38. A total of 417 codes were extracted. The optimization strategies included 3 main categories and 6 sub-categories including pre-training predictions (motivation and culture building), training process (teaching strategies, teacher role and curriculum) and executive requirements (emphasis on executive components).

Considering the analyzed strategies can be useful in order to teach effectively in subsequent courses in other universities of medical sciences with regard to the educational and cultural context in Iran. It is also recommended to use the opinion of experienced experts in holding this course.