Scars, X Rays, Tattoos and Other Stories of the Body 2.0  

A writing workshop for health care students and professionals

Each practitioner brings a different lens to their patient or client: the word ‘tattoo’ means one thing to the dermatologist and another thing to the radiologist. The surgeon sees a scar, while psychiatrists see scars of a different sort. One listens to the lungs, another the heart. Yet it’s one person. Using poetry and creative writing, we’ll have a chance to express the unique way we each see the person before us. Then come together as a group to see the person again, through all the lenses we bring.

Why 2.0? Last season, in “Scars, Tattoos and Other Stories of the Body” we reflected on the stories our own bodies tell. In 2.0, we’ll look at how we respond as health care professionals to the body of the person before us. It is not necessary to have attended the first one; no experience required.

Learning Objectives:

1.  Learn five rules for writing that can be used to reflect on work, relationships, and life

2.  Increase awareness of the possible impact of your specialization on the person you are seeing.

3.  Explore poetry and writing as practices of self-care

Thursday April 28, 2021  5:30PM-7PM
On Zoom. You will receive a link when you register.

Facilitator: Ronna Bloom
Ronna Bloom is a teacher and author of 6 books of poetry. Her most recent book, The More, was published by Pedlar Press in 2017 and long listed for the City of Toronto Book Award. Her poems have been recorded by the CNIB and translated into Spanish, Bangla, and Chinese. She has collaborated with health care professionals, filmmakers, spiritual leaders, conservationists and architects. A frequent guest in the faculties of Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, as well at teaching hospitals, she brings 25 years of psychotherapy practice to her work as a poet and facilitator.

Ronna developed the first Poet in Residence program at Sinai Health which ran from 2012-2019. She is currently Poet in Community to the University of Toronto and Poet in Residence in the Health, Arts and Humanities Programme. Her “Spontaneous Poetry Booth” and “RX for Poetry” have been featured in hospitals and fundraisers in Canada and abroad. Her chapbook, Who is your mercy contact? was published in March.

Ronna Bloom, M.ED
Poet in Residence, HAH, University of Toronto

Poet in Community, University of Toronto
www.ronnabloom.com

Open to all U of T Medical Students, Residents, Physicians and Learners from other disciplines. Register here.

This session is sponsored by the program for Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

A Narrative-based Exploration of Resilience from the CPD

Resilience in Practice – Starting March 12

There are limited spots available for “Resilience in Practice” – a new workshop series designed to explore and understand personal and professional resiliency using narrative-based medicine approaches. This series will take place over five sessions from 10am – 12pm on Saturday mornings from March 12 – July 9, 2022.

Using the work (and wisdom) of five contemporary clinician writers, learners will:

• Explore clinician memoirs as a foundation for understanding different experiences of resilience.
• Enhance their understanding of personal and professional resiliency.
• Deepen their skills as close readers, writers and listeners through practical exercises.

Book excerpts and themes will be used as a springboard for reflections and writing in each session. Come to deepen your learning, enhance your creativity, or find inspiration. Note: The memoirs are a resource to explore these themes and pre-reading is not required.

The group is facilitated by Karen Gold, a narrative medicine facilitator, social worker, and educator.

See the program website for complete details.

Registration link: https://facmed.registration.med.utoronto.ca/portal/events/reg/participantTypeSelection.do?method=load&entityId=3000060&utm_source=Discover&utm_medium=CPD+Website&utm_campaign=CPD+Events+Page

If anyone requires registration assistance, they should email: facmed.registration@utoronto.ca

Continuing Professional Development
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
500 University Avenue, 6th floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7
416-978-2719 | monica.cribari@utoronto.ca
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Be Good to Yourself, Whoever You Are

A Writing Workshop for Medical Students, Doctors, Residents and Health Professionals

Often in work, and in life, energy moves towards projects and people but there’s little left for your own restoration, especially for those working in health care. In this workshop, through the use of poems and prompts, you will be nudged into writing and reflecting on what sustains you, what you love and what you need. Take this time for yourself as a flicker of possibility of how you might take time for yourself in general.

No experience necessary. Please have a pen and paper, a notebook or whatever you like to write with on hand.

Date and Time:

March 31, 2021

5PM-6:30PM

You will receive a link when you register

Goals

— Learn five rules for writing that can be used to reflect on one’s work, relationships, and life

— Engage directly with poetry as a tool for expressing challenges and discovering resources

— Explore poetry and writing as practices of self-care

Workshop leader:

Ronna Bloom is a poet and teacher. Her most recent book, The More, was published by Pedlar Press in 2017 and long listed for the City of Toronto Book Award. Her poems have been recorded by the CNIB and translated into Spanish, Bangla, and Chinese. She has collaborated with health care professionals, filmmakers, academics, students, spiritual leaders, and architects. A frequent guest in the faculties of Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, as well at teaching hospitals, she brings 25 years of psychotherapy practice to her work as a poet and facilitator.

Ronna developed the first Poet in Residence program at Sinai Health which ran from 2012-2019. She is currently Poet in Community to the University of Toronto and Poet in Residence in the Health, Arts and Humanities Programme. Her “Spontaneous Poetry Booth” and “RX for Poetry” have been featured in hospitals and fundraisers in Canada and abroad. She runs workshops and gives talks on poetry, spontaneity, and awareness through writing. ronna

bloom.com

Open to all U of T Medical Students, Residents, Physicians and Learners from other disciplines. Register here.