Oral Medicine: A Role for Spoken Word Poetry in Medical Education

Abstract

During my time at Harvard Medical School (HMS), I have been fortunate enough to be able to continue pursuing a unique passion of mine. Spoken word poetry is a passion that falls far from the traditional medical school curriculum. In this paper, however, I will argue that this need not be the case. I will argue that spoken word poetry has an important role to play in the education and professional development of physicians and other health care providers. First, I will present a brief history of spoken word poetry. My intent here is to orient my audience, composed mostly of academic physicians, to this rich and fascinating genre of performance art. Next, I will provide an overview of how poetry and other forms of creative writing are already being used to help train more well-rounded, humanistic physicians. I will describe how the inclusion of spoken word poetry in particular has the potential to enhance these initiatives in unique and powerful ways. Finally, I will present an original curriculum made up of four contiguous spoken word poetry workshops specifically geared towards medical students and physicians. This course will be designed in the spirit of month-long electives at my home institution and at many other medical schools. It is my hope that through this project, I might help academic physicians gain a greater appreciation for the unconventional art form that is spoken word poetry and for the role it might play in advancing our profession, our relationships to patients, and ultimately our patients’ outcomes.