“I’d learned that living required both humility and acceptance of the unexpected.”
— Physician and Author Sunita Puri

“The humanities are what keep us human.”
— Singer and Songwriter Allison Russell

Increasing numbers of healthcare practitioners and learners feel stretched thin. Narrative-based medicine can provide an accessible antidote to clinician stress as it promotes self-awareness, connection, and meaning-making.

Drawing upon current literature about stress and well-being in healthcare, as well as writing by clinician-authors (memoirs, poems, and personal essays), we will reflect on critical themes in professional practice.

Participants will enhance their skills of close reading, listening, and reflection during this highly interactive series that blends short, didactic presentations with hands-on activities, group discussion, and prompted writing exercises. Together, we’ll explore narrative approaches and resources for well-being through discussion, text reading, and reflective writing.

There will be ample opportunity to discuss ideas in a supportive and collegial environment, including the application of practices to professional and educational contexts. The instructor will offer optional resources for further exploration. There are no required readings or assignments.

Praise From Past Participants

“I found [Karen’s] teaching style nurturing and inclusive. [This series] was such a lovely way to meet other practitioners pursuing their writing and searching for answers to difficult questions. I felt quite inspired.”

“The most effective part of this series was the group discussion, writing, and sharing in the creation of a narrative community during each class.”

Learning Objectives

By the end of this series participants will be able to:

• Identify several key concepts and themes related to clinician well-being
• Describe narrative exercises to foster individual and group reflection on program themes
• Demonstrate reflection through group discussion and prompted writing activities

Target Audience

This series is suitable for clinicians, educators, workshop facilitators, and anyone interested in the well-being of clinicians or the role of narrative in healthcare. No previous experience with narrative-based medicine is required. For those with previous training in narrative-based medicine, this series presents an opportunity to delve deeper into issues around narrative and well-being.

Dates and Times

Sessions will take place online from 6:00 – 8:30 pm ET. The dates are:

• Thursday, October 23, 2025
• Thursday, November 6, 2025
• Thursday, November 20, 2025
• Thursday, December 4, 2025

Portions of the instructor-led sessions will be recorded for participants to subsequently review.

Fees

Standard Registration Fee: $660

All amounts are in Canadian Dollars (CAD $) and are subject to 13% HST.

Cancellation

Cancellations will be accepted until October 16, 2025 and are subject to a processing fee of $60 plus applicable taxes. Refunds will not be processed after this date.

Requests for cancellation must be made in writing to cpd.programs@utoronto.ca .

Registrations are not transferable.

The University of Toronto reserves the right to cancel events. Registrants will be notified at the earliest possible date in the event of a cancellation. Registration fees for events cancelled by the University will be refunded; however, the University will not be liable for any loss, damages or other expenses that such cancellations may cause.

Instructor

Karen Gold PhD, MSW, RSW
Karen is an experienced social worker, educator, and workshop facilitator. She is the Curriculum Lead at the NBM Lab and co-instructor for the Foundational Certificate in Narrative-Based Medicine. She has a special interest in professional loss, reflective writing, and clinician well-being.
Biography

Accreditation

Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME), a subcommittee of the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). This standard allows CPD to review and assess educational activities based on the criteria established by The College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) has established agreements with each of the American Medical Association (AMA), and the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®) where activities approved for Royal College MOC Credits are eligible for conversion to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and UEMS-EACCME European CME Credit (ECMEC®) credits, respectively.