Blue Flower

Narrative Medicine
And
Planetary Health

Narrative medicine is an approach that underscores the importance of the story in healthcare. While this basic premise is as old as the history of medicine, it’s regaining recognition as a powerful tool in communicating and co-creating wellness and health behaviours. Throughout this course, we will explore several transdisciplinary themes that illuminate patient stories, societal context, and environmental impacts on health, even at the molecular level. We aim to cultivate empathy, compassion, and holistic care that move beyond the human skeleton, the disease model, towards a broader vision of human flourishing and wellbeing. By employing constructive narratives, we encourage students to harness their creativity, practice mindfulness, and self-reflection to address health challenges at both the personal and the planetary scale.
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By the end of this course you will be able to:

1. Gain insights into the pivotal role of Ancient Egyptian civilization in the development of medical care.
2. Attain a comprehensive understanding of the narrative medicine approach and its practical application.
3. Explores the profound cultural influence on how health and disease are represented in our society. 

4. Comprehend the complex interplay of environmental, economic,
and social factors that shape “Planetary health”.
5.Establish connections between Narrative-based-medicine with Evidence-based medicine within the context of patient-centered care.
6-Demonstrate self-awareness by reflecting on thoughts, emotions, and potential biases. 

7-Appreciate the concept of mindfulness practice for personal well- being.
8-Foster a sense of “community” by embracing diverse perspectives among peers.
9-Embrace innate prosocial qualities such as empathy, compassion, and selflessness to build public trust in healthcare.
10- Acknowledge the central role of professional conduct in the field of medicine. 

11-Develop essential habits for attentive listening, reading and writing to discern patients’ unique narratives.
12-Interpret spoken or written narratives to enhance reflective practice abilities.
13-Appreciate relational thinking in medicine, which transcends disease-focused, chronological history-taking. 14- Analyze visual, multimedia, and graphic pathographies to extract insights related to medicine and healthcare practices.
15- Deepen understanding of the local and global cultural diversity within illness narrative research.
16- Investigate the strengths, weaknesses, and implementation challenges of narrative practices in medicine.
17- Create a work of “art in medicine” centered around the patient a human subject.
18- Improve team cohesion and perception of others’ perspectives.

Associate Professor
Dr. Mona El-Sherbini
Dr. Mona El-Sherbini, MD, commenced in academic medical practice at Cairo University in 2007. She participated in the self-study, strategic plan, and reaccreditation process of Kasr Al-Ainy, 2016. She is a specialist in parasitic infectious diseases, a certified international professional trainer, a committee member of the postgraduate curricula, training, professional diplomas and certification at Kasr Al-Ainy and an active Planetary health researcher. She has a palpable passion for a holistic approach to medicine and life generally. Since 2017, Dr. El-Sherbini founded Narrative medicine & Planetary health course at the Integrated Program of Kasr Al-Ainy (IPKA), where she passionately integrates medicine with humanities, the arts, and culture while advancing planetary health education and awareness. Her active contribution extends globally as a guest researcher at the Nova Institute for Health in the USA. Dr. El-Sherbini also serves as a guest editor at the Challenges Journal, an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by MDPI. Dr. El- Sherbini actively leads the grassroots initiative of the Africa Community of Planetary Partners for Health and Environment (ACOPPHE). Her visionary efforts have been instrumental in establishing the Mentoring Research Network (MRN), a dynamic platform that fosters collaboration and capacity building among professionals dedicated to researching critical global public health challenges in Africa and beyond.
Through her work, Dr. El-Sherbini seeks to nurture a pro-planetary positive mindset among both individuals and communities. She strives to cultivate a holistic approach towards a positive shared future for all. Her foundational principle, “Embrace holism with a focus on pedagogy before technology and humanity before science,” continues to inspire her vision and her passionate mentorship endeavors, toward her colleagues and students alike.