The Beam of Light
A sparkling piece of work that embodies compassion, impact on self, reflection, and celebration of human connection.
Podcast from the Narrative-Based Medicine Lab
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Recent Articles
Call for Submissions: Medical Metaphors Anthology
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
NBM Lab Community Members at Word on the Street Festival
Monday, January 19, 2026
A Conversation with Anne Matlow
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Lab Offerings
Foundational Certificate in Narrative-Based Medicine (Certificate Program)
Registration now open for 2025 & 2026
Dive into the principles and practices of Narrative-Based Medicine in this unique certificate program. Join learners from across Canada and around the world.
Winter/Spring 2026 Literary Lunch Hours
March 25 and April 29
Take a break from your routine and tap into your creativity for a lunch hour during our free literary lunch hours this season.
Creative and Reflective Writing Workshop for Health Practitioners
Registration Open - Starts Thursday, April 30, 2026
This four-session series is designed for health practitioners seeking to improve their creative and reflective writing skills.
All Narrative-Based Medicine Offerings
Browse our workshops, multi-session series, and activities taking place throughout the year. Part of the Advanced Certificate, our stand-alone offerings can also be completed on their own.
Creative Work
Poetry and Practice: Recent Work from Lori-Anne Noyahr
Lori-Anne Noyahr is an anesthesiologist and accomplished poet with recent work featured in a variety of venues. Read More
Paula Holmes-Rodman Awarded King Charles III Coronation Medal and Published in Ars Medica
Paula Holmes-Rodman has been honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, and has published a new story in Ars Medica. Read More
"A Short Story About Imperfection" by Catherine Brooks
Catherine Brooks, a curator of Stories for Medicine, shares a reflective piece on healing in her blog piece “A Short Story About Imperfection.” Read More
“I'm Childless, Not Kinshipless” by Cynthia Gralla
Cynthia Gralla is featured in Best Canadian Essays 2026 for her essay on childlessness, identity, and women’s experiences in modern society. Read More
“Drop of Indigo Dye” by Aisha Husain
A reflection on navigating illness and identity through the lens of narrative-based medicine. Read More
NBM Talks Podcast
A Conversation with Anne Matlow
April 8, 2026
Anne Matlow (Professor Emerita of Medicine and Paediatrics at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and Faculty Lead for Postgraduate Leadership) shares how narrative reflection can shape leadership and professional development in healthcare. Anne elaborates on how practices like journaling can help clinicians pause, reflect, and improve health care practices. She reflects on […]
A Conversation with Rita Charon
March 27, 2026
Pioneer in the field of narrative medicine, Rita Charon, reflects on the origins of the field and future directions.
A Conversation with Jay Baruch
January 26, 2026
Jay Baruch traces where his interest in story, narrative, and medicine began.
A Conversation with John Launer
December 3, 2025
John Launer shares thoughts on the state of narrative-based medicine today and into the future.
Case Repertory
Letter from the Editor: Winter 2026
Words from editor-in-chief, Conor Mc Donnell, introducing the narrative pieces in this winter 2026 issue.
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The Beam of Light
A sparkling piece of work that embodies compassion, impact on self, reflection, and celebration of human connection.
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The Dance of Family Medicine
A piece that places the patient at the centre of writing and demonstrates the power of kinship between patient and carer.
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Fall in the Foothills
An intimate narrative of a sibling's sudden cancer recurrence and the harrowing weeks that follow from a caregiver's perspective.
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FND
Delivered via two narrative voices—parent and patient, physician and physician’s child—this piece dances back and forth from one perspective to the other.