Film as a means to introduce narrative reflective practice in medicine and dentistry: a beginning story presented in three parts

Abstract

Over the past two years, the authors pilot‐tested a new film‐based module in the first year Patient‐Centred Course (PCC1) in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta. This paper describes the rationale for, and response to use of film and facilitated small group discussion as a means of introducing narrative reflective practice. Feedback from students and facilitators in 2008 and 2009 supported the use of film as a means of promoting narrative reflection. Suggestions for improvement, along with changes introduced in 2009, are described. For example, based on positive student feedback, we were allotted increased time in the PCC1 block which allowed us to incorporate full‐length film screenings. Separate small groups for medical and dental students were also introduced, which was viewed as a positive change by dental facilitators and students. Planned changes in 2010, and suggestions for inquiry in this area are described.

Keywords:

• film
• reflection
• narrative reflective practice
• professionalism
• medical education
• dental education

Acknowledgements

The authors extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to Mary Pat Schlosser (Med 2011) who spent the summer of 2008 reviewing films and selecting film clips prior to our initial pilot. We also want to acknowledge the helpful contributions of Darren Forst and Simrit Nijjar (Dent 2011) for their film clip selections from ‘Ghost Town’, as well as other dental films in 2009. Thanks are also extended to staff members and volunteers who helped to summarize feedback from our small group sessions, including Margaret Smith, Wendy Brown, Carleen Ellis, Valary Howard, Akshatha Raghuveer and Victoria Sheldon. We are also very pleased to acknowledge the efforts of Kristine Perez, Administrator of Year One Pre‐Clinical Education in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, whose organizational contributions in both 2008 and 2009 helped to ensure the success of our film‐based narrative reflective practice module.