Creating Space HEALTH HUMANITIES Conference

Posted on January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 by Allan Peterkin

Creating Space 13: Deadline for proposals extended to January 31

The deadline for submitting proposals for Creating Space 13 has been extended to January 31.

Creating Space 13, the annual conference of the Canadian Association for Health Humanities, will take place on April 13 and 14 in Quebec City. The 2023 theme is: For a sustainable pedagogy of the health humanities: Transdisciplinary and transcultural perspectives.

The conference will feature two plenary speakers: Lisa Boivin, interdisciplinary artist and doctoral student at the Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto, and Jean Désy, doctor, teacher at the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University, surveyor of the Far North and writer.

The conference programme will include a plenary performance on the evening of April 13 on the theme of arts and care, with a focus on traditional knowledge in its relationship to care and, in particular, the knowledge of the First Nations. The performance will feature artist Andrée Lévesque-Sioui and a group of artists from Quebec and other provinces of Canada.

Registration is open. You must be a member of CAHH to attend Creating Space. Join or renew your membership online.

Creating Space 13 will be held in conjunction with the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM), Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. For information on reserving hotel accommodations for Creating Space 13, visit the ICAM website.

Questions? Contact: creatingspace13quebec@gmail.com

AGO SEMINARS – “Art Is Patient” February 2023

Posted on January 9, 2023January 9, 2023 by Allan Peterkin

Art is Patient seminar series

People are complicated. Art is difficult. They’re both challenging: often opaque and multi-layered and labels really tell us? As clinicians or as viewers, how do we approach and understand these layered hard to read. People and artworks might show up with their labels front-and-centre, but what do beings as insightfully and respectfully as possible?

Art is Patient introduces learners to a series of steps to approach art in a museum as a means to explore the ways we encounter people in our clinics and offices. The course proposes that relating to art and to people in meaningful ways doesn’t require specialized background knowledge. Rather, it requires our mindful, open-minded engagement.
The seminar series turns the Art Gallery of Ontario into a dynamic lab for visual literacy. In each of three linked sessions, we engage with one or two pieces of artwork with curiosity and humility. The art tells us what we need to know about seeing, witnessing and engaging in the context of care. The museum allows objects and images to clarify the professional/patient relationship in ways the clinic can’t, giving us space to question and understand our roles with one another, all without the usual pressures to know or perform or explain.

Activities:
· guided close observation of art
· group discussion and
· self-reflection via mark-making

Goals:
· Foster cognitive skills such as description and interpretation (and better understand the distinction between the two), critical thinking and metacognition
· Sharpen technical abilities such as close observation, diagnostic acumen, pattern recognition and the perception of non-verbal cues
· Deepen interpersonal skills with both patients and colleagues, such as collaboration, social awareness and cultural sensitivity
· Nurture humanistic qualities such as tolerance of ambiguity, curiosity, creativity and self-reflection
· Understand the role of embodied witnessing in the practice of medicine.

Seminar leader:
Eva-Marie Stern, RP, MA, Adjunct Faculty U of T Dept of Psychiatry, is an art therapist, a relational psychotherapist and educator. She co-founded WRAP (within the Trauma Therapy Program) at Women’s College Hospital in 1998. Her chapter, co-authored with Shelley Wall, “The Visible Curriculum”, appears in Health Humanities in Postgraduate Medical Education (Oxford U Press, 2018) and expands on how looking at and making art can vitalize learning in medicine. She is a Harvard Fellow in Art Museum-Based Health Professions Education.

Time and place:
3 sessions in sequence:
3:00 to 5:00 on Wednesdays February 8, 15, and 22, 2023
In person: Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St West, Toronto

Enrolment:
Open to all U of T Medical Students and Residents on a first-come, first-served basis.
There is no cost for participation but enrolment is limited for a small group experience.
BECAUSE SPACES ARE LIMITED ,ATTENDANCE IS EXPECTED AT ALL THREE seminars/workshops.
No art experience is necessary.
Tickets are graciously provided by the AGO.

For more information and to register, please contact: emstern@artandmind.net and indicate your year of study and specialization.

Call for Submissions: Graphic Medicine Annual Conference, July 13-15, 2023

Posted on January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 by Allan Peterkin

Call for Submissions: Graphic Medicine Annual Conference, July 13-15, 2023

University of Toronto Downtown Campus, Toronto, ON, Canada

The Graphic Medicine conference is returning to Toronto! This will be a hybrid conference, with in-person and virtual attendance options.

The conference theme is “Graphic Medicine: Encounters and Invitations”.

We invite the submission of a wide variety of abstracts focusing on health, illness, caregiving, and disability as they intersect with comics in any form (e.g., graphic novels and memoir, comic strips, manga, mini comics, web comics, etc.).

Presentations may explore the following questions and topics, or others you feel are relevant to the field:

- How do you invite comics connected to health, well-being, caregiving, illness, and disability into your work?
- How do you invite Graphic Medicine in and to educational settings?
- How is Graphic Medicine addressing important topics, like reproductive and disability rights, health disparities and equity, dying and death, and social justice (to name a few)?
- How might Graphic Medicine create dialogue across disciplines?
- What is the history of Graphic Medicine?
- What is the future of Graphic Medicine?
- What are the spaces of Graphic Medicine encounters? Who is not at our tables? How can we intentionally create spaces of invitation?

Presentation Formats:

- Lightning talks: These 5-minute presentations should provide an engaging and concentrated synopsis of new, ongoing, or completed scholarly, creative, or professional work in Graphic Medicine. This format is designed with the promotion of sustained conversation in mind.
- Oral presentations: These 15-minute presentations are largely for collaborative, interdisciplinary, or other work that requires and engages a longer presentation format.
- Panel discussions: These 90-minute interviews or presentations by a panel of speakers are meant to address a single topic from a variety of perspectives.
- Workshops: These 90-minute, hands-on, activity-driven sessions are for presenters who wish to impart particular skills with regard to comics. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
  - drawing for health
  - accessing personal stories
  - comics and storytelling
  - mini-comic tutorial

Hybridity plan: Conference sessions will be available for viewing online for registered participants unable to attend in person. A select number of proposals will be accepted as prerecorded video if the presenter is unable to attend in person.

Submission and Selection Process: Proposals should be submitted as a PDF and the abstract of the proposal should not exceed 300 words.

Please include the following information in this order:

- Author(s)
- Affiliation(s) (if applicable)
- Email address of primary contact
- Title of proposal
- Abstract of proposal (300 word maximum)
- Sample images or web links to work being discussed (if applicable)
- Presentation format preference(s) (see options above)
- Equipment needed (e.g., AV projection, whiteboard, easel, etc.)

Proposals should be submitted by February 15, 2023 to: GMToronto23@gmail.com

We will acknowledge the receipt of all proposals. Abstracts will be peer-reviewed by an interdisciplinary selection committee. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be completed by the week of March 15, 2023. While we cannot guarantee that selected presenters will receive their first choice of presentation format, we will attempt to honour preferences.

Please note: Presenters are responsible for costs associated with their session (e.g., handouts and supplies) and personal expenses (travel, hotel, and registration fees). All presenters must register for the conference. Registration fee levels will be posted on the conference registration page in early 2023. Our intention is to make this conference logistically and financially accessible. Discounted rates and some limited scholarships will be available for students, artists, and others in need. All conference spaces will be accessible and closed captioning will be available, and additional disability accommodations will be made available on request.

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. For more information, please visit https://indigenous.utoronto.ca/.

Announcing Health Humanities Resources from CAHH

Posted on November 7, 2022November 7, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

From The Canadian Association For Health Humanities

(please consider joining at : WWW.CAHH.CA)

Do you find yourself scouring the web for information about health humanities conferences, programs, and journals?

Would you appreciate quick access to information about Canadian creative works — such as visual art, writing, and performance — in the field?

We are delighted to share four new resources on the Canadian Association of Health Humanities website:

A catalog—the Humanities, Arts, and Medicine database—of Canadian creative works that reflect intersections between arts/humanities and health/medicine

A guide to health humanities conferences in Canada and internationally

A list of health humanities and related educational programs across Canada and internationally, as well as a detailed guide to programming and initiatives at Canadian medical schools

A list of scholarly journals in the health humanities and related areas

The field of health humanities is continually evolving, as are these collections. We welcome your feedback and additions.

CONTACT:

Tracy Moniz, Secretary-Communications Officer

Canadian Association for Health Humanities

www.cahh.ca

@CAHH_ACSHS

NARRATIVE- BASED MEDICINE LAB : CPD-UTORONTO OFFERINGS

More Information

Register

Let CPD help you to create an engaging digital conference experience that goes beyond a typical webinar. Contact me to learn more.

THE NARRATIVE-BASED MEDICINE LAB

Continuing Professional Development
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
500 University Avenue, 6th floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7
temertymedicine.utoronto.ca | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn

Health, Arts & Humanities – IPE CERTIFICATE-APPLY NOW!

Posted on September 21, 2022September 21, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

Interprofessional Health, Arts & Humanities Certificate Program

Are you a health professions student at the University of Toronto?

Are you interested in the arts, or are curious to know how they can make you a better health professional?

Apply now for the Interprofessional Health, Arts & Humanities Certificate program!

-> 30 spots
-> 3 instructors
-> 1 certificate

Deadline extended!
extended deadline -Health, Arts & Humanities callout!
Applications are open until September 25 @11:59pm EST

Health Narratives Research Process (HeNReP)

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

NARRATIVE-BASED RESEARCH SEMINARS -ALL ARE WELCOME

Format: Responding to multi-session writing prompts in a one-on-one online format with a facilitator

Title of Sessions: Health Narratives Research Process

Dates/Times: Decided individually based on the schedule of the participant

Location: Online in a private Facebook group set up individually between the facilitator and the participant

3-5 line description with 2-3 learning goals:

Description: The Heath Narratives Research Process (HeNReP) is a free, non-credit, open-discipline, non-hierarchical process that has been offered in association with the Health, Arts and Humanities Program of the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Toronto since 2015 as the Health Narratives Research Group (HeNReG) from the first week in October to the last week in April. What differentiates the HeNReP from the previous HeNReG is that it is not tied to the yearly calendar or to a group as the process is available to individual participants at any time throughout the academic year.

Learning Goals: The aim of the process is to help health researchers reduce the burnout that often develops in relation to engaging in their research. This is accomplished by the participant and the facilitator participating in multi-session online structured writing exercises that attempt to order their thinking processes regarding their research related to health.

Information on how to rsvp to you and how to join your session: The facilitator/founder/originator is Carol Nash PhD, Scholar in Residence, History of Medicine Program, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. To learn more about the HeNReP and to set up a HeNReP with the facilitator, please contact Dr. Carol Nash at carol.nash@utoronto.ca.

Medicine Through the Lens of Photography: Empathy, Advocacy, Compassion through Storytelling

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

Humanities in Medicine—A Photography Elective For Medical Students
Medicine Through the Lens of Photography: Empathy, Advocacy, Compassion through Storytelling

Instructor-Dr Dawn Lim, Photographer In Residence, The Program In Health, Arts and Humanities (www.health-humanities.com)

To register/obtain scheduling details, please contact :
dawn.lim@utoronto.ca

Please be sure you can commit to attending all sessions (see dates below), as places are limited.

Learning Goals:

Explore background on the culture of medicine as seen in the literature
Behaviours such as bullying, harassment, favoritism, perfectionism (imposter syndrome), cynicism, and productivity as self-worth are common in medicine and are grounded in shame. These have contributed to burnout especially during the pandemic.
Provide medical students with the chance to explore a theme of shame in their medical practice through the medium of photographic storytelling

Agenda:

September 22th (2 hour):
· get to know everyone
· please bring samples of the work you wish to share as well as your camera so we can have a sense of your style and voice
· general discussion on what our collective work might look like
October 20th (1 hour):
· group decision on the WHY of the photo essay
· choose a meaningful theme for the group and how we might show those themes visually
Nov 17th (1 hour):
· How to craft a meaningful photo essay—an exploration of themes and characters
November and December will be for individual photography time
January 19, 2023 (2 hours):
· sequencing (at least one week before, please send me at least 5 jpeg files with the work you wish to submit)
· as a group we will start the wonderful process of sequencing, selection, and
composition of our collective photo essay
February 16th (2 hours): part two sequencing
Printing–our end result will be 10-15 high quality prints to present at Synesthesia, the annual Faculty of Medicine art show.

Duration of Elective:

8 hours of instruction time plus independent time for photographing own vision of the chosen theme

Deadline and Key Details:

Students need access to their own camera (preferred) though smartphone may be acceptable if high resolution
Need to sign up early in the fall since the off hours creation time for photography may fall outside

Dr. Dawn Lim, BSc, MD, FRCP(C), MBA, Certificate of Digital Photography, Certificate of Creative Writing (candidate), Clinician Teacher and Assistant Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine

CPD Certificate in Narrative-Based Medicine (2022-23)

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

Registration is now open for the Centre For Professional Development‘s narrative-based medicine Certificate programs at the University of Toronto.

Please go to:
https://facmed.registration.med.utoronto.ca/portal/events/reg/participantTypeSelection.do?method=load&entityId=3132713

Allan Peterkin MD
Program Director

Health & Humanities film : The Choreography of Care

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

PREMIERE IS TODAY (Feb 16) !

Experience this short dance film tribute honouring the dedication and sacrifice of healthcare workers throughout the challenging times of the pandemic and beyond: https://youtu.be/kYT-K9FsRMo

To acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice of healthcare staff throughout the pandemic and beyond, Dr. Sarah Kim spearheaded this film project in collaboration with staff from all three sites at Unity Health Toronto, including St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and Providence Healthcare. The film was made possible by the generous and enthusiastic participation of staff across all three sites and the support of the Joy Fund at Unity Health Toronto. The diversity and strength of our community is clearly reflected in this work and we could not be more proud to stand together as a unified team in our commitment to keeping healthcare alive.

About the film

The Choreography of Care is a collaborative tribute honouring the perseverance, dedication and sacrifice of all frontline workers, with a special focus on healthcare. The film features real-life healthcare professionals performing familiar, everyday routines with novel purpose, to the everyday sounds of their work environment. The Choreography of Care highlights the communities of support within healthcare, the diversity and resilience of the people, putting a human face to a place where many are feeling forgotten. It is an homage to what it means to be a frontline worker in 2021 and beyond.

How the film was made

The Choreography of Care invited all staff at Unity Health Toronto to think about their profession in new ways and collaborate as a team towards a creative goal. The soundtrack for this film was generated using “found” sound in the work environment, sounds heard every day. The intention of this film was to acknowledge the human value of frontline workers, not only in their roles, but also as people. The hope was that the collaborative process of creating this film would increase a sense of connectedness across all three sites, while bringing joy and pride to not only those involved, but to the entire community at Unity Health Toronto and beyond.

Core Team:

Concept by: Christy Stoeten | Sarah Kim, MD
Director/Editor…Sonia Gemmiti
Producer… Sarah Kim, MD | Christy Stoeten
Director of Photography…Katie Cooper
Composer… Danielle Goudge, RN
Choreography… Christy Stoeten | Sarah Kim, MD
1st Assistant Camera…Yuri Markarov
Colourist…Matthew Barnett
Sound Engineer…Mark Rozeluk

Questions?

Email dr.kim@alumni.utoronto.ca
Instagram: @sarahkim_md

Two Poetry Workshops and a poem

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

Hello, welcome,

I have two workshops to share with you. And a poem.
These offerings come with my best wishes
for your health and strength.

Ronna

***

Postcards from the Edge:
Addressing Compassion/Covid Fatigue in Note Form
A workshop for medical students, physicians, residents, and other health practitioners.

Perhaps you are too overwhelmed to read this. Let’s be brief: this workshop will address the impacts on you –physical, emotional, professional — of living through Covid, while caring for human suffering. In notes. A creative writing workshop. With other hesitant people. Using poems as guides. Have a rest; write something. No experience necessary.

Sponsored by The Temerty Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto.
February 15, 5:30PM-7PM
Register here

***

As part of The Winter Solstice Series
curated by Hard Feelings, I will be offering the workshop

Be Good to Yourself, Whoever You Are

Often in work, and in life, energy moves towards projects and people but there’s little left for your own restoration. 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.

This session is part of the Winter Solace FREE online series. For individuals who are feeling isolated, struggling to find supports, and interested in developing new ways of coping.

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION:

• Self-identify as financially vulnerable

• In need of mental health and/or well being supports

• Live in the GTA

• Ages 18+

Register Here.

For info on other sessions in the series, contact Kate Scowen

***

Lastly, here’s a new poem.
“An Excruciating Blue Day” was published in The Malahat Review

***
Thanks for taking the time.
ronna

MAA-CREMS Research Awards-Apply Now

Posted on February 6, 2022 by Allan Peterkin

MAA-CREMS Research Awards in the Humanities, Social Sciences & the History of Medicine

The following is sent on behalf of the Medical Alumni Association in collaboration with the Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students (CREMS) Programs.

The Medical Alumni Association in collaboration with the Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students (CREMS) Programs would like to invite you to participate in the MAA-CREMS Research Awards in the Humanities, Social Sciences & the History of Medicine. This opportunity will be offered to first and second-year as well as MD/Ph.D. students. Funding is fully provided by the program.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT FOR DETAILS ON APPLYING FOR STUDENT FUNDING OR BECOMING A SUPERVISOR FOR A CREMS PROJECT.

Queries to: crems.programs@utoronto.ca

Art is Patient seminar series

Learners from ALL clinical, humanities, social sciences and arts-based disciplines are welcome to register.

Foundation in Narrative Based Medicine (Certificate Program)

October 2022 – February 2023

Self-Compassion and Self-Empathy: Mindfulness Meditation in Life and Professional Practice

October 22, 2022

An Introduction to Visual Narrative: An Art Gallery Workshop

October 29, 2022

Practicing Narrative-Based Medicine in Real Life – Half-Day Master Class

November 19, 2022

Advanced Creative and Reflective Writing Workshop for Health Practitioners

November – December 2022