The Bridge: Narrative Medicine & Healthcare (Fall 2025)
A 9-week Narrative Medicine course that provides training in attentive listening, empathy, and self-care through literature, philosophy, and the arts.
Welcome Video
FREE PREVIEWCourse Schedule
FREE PREVIEWLearning Objectives
FREE PREVIEWMeet The Teacher
FREE PREVIEWGroup Rules
FREE PREVIEWPre-Course Reading
FREE PREVIEWPre-Course Survey
Community Forum
Let's Get To Know Each Other!
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Week 1 Podcast: From Close Reading To Attentive Listening
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Week 2 Podcast: Where Does Meaning Live?
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Week 3 Podcast: Metaphor and Symbolism
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Midterm Examination
Week 4 Podcast: Perspective and Bias
Optional Midterm Exercise
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Week 6 Podcast: Temporality and the Lived Experience of Illness/Pain
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Week 7 Podcast: Counter-Narratives and Social Justice
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
NOT Optional Introductory Reading :)
Close Reading Assignment + Discussion
Reflective Writing Prompt
Week 8 Podcast: Caregiving and Self-Care
Introductory Video + Learning Journal
Optional Introductory Reading
The Embodied Storyteller (Capstone)
Woven Poetry
Week 9 Podcast: Embodiment and Performativity
Final "Exam"
Post-Course Survey
Optional: Leave Us A Google Review!
We offer a 14-day money back guarantee, so if the course isn't working for you, get in touch and we'll be happy to help.
For sure! All of the course content is fully responsive so it will work regardless of whether you're on a computer or a mobile device.
We are here for you! Contact us ANY time at [email protected]. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
The course is asynchronous and always available online, so you can move at your own pace. Each week, we post one "academic" reading assignment, one "artistic" close reading assignment, and one reflective writing assignment. Students post responses on our discussion board and comment on at least 3 peers’ posts throughout the week—this is where the richest conversation and development happens. Over our weeks together, we’ll only have 2 live Zoom calls—one for a collaborative podcast, and one for our group capstone project. We offer multiple time options to accommodate different time zones and schedules.
While the format is flexible, consistency is important. This is a close, private space where personal things may be shared, and we aim to keep the group cohesive. We have gentle “due dates” on Wednesdays and weekends to keep us thinking and working together. Exercises can take as little or as much time as you choose, but the next module won’t open until you’ve completed the previous one. If someone is absent from the discussion board for two consecutive weeks, we remove them from the program to preserve the group’s sense of safety and privacy.
Most students spend 3–5 hours per week on the course. Some responses are just a few sentences, others are longer—it’s entirely up to you. The course “gives what it gets," meaning that the insights you take away tend to reflect the energy you put in, but only you can define what that looks like for you.
If you are interested in joining the 9-week cohort, please email us at [email protected] for upcoming course dates.