Call for Papers: The Role of the Humanities and Narrative Medicine in Family Medicine Education

Family Medicine is pleased to announce a call for papers for an upcoming theme issue focused on exploring the role of the humanities and narrative medicine in family medicine education and training. Family medicine is more than diabetes and depression; it is a discipline of stories. We recognize the value of stories in enhancing our teaching of medical content and in professional development. We rely on our patients' stories to truly know them and understand their life context. This is why we include stories and robust storytelling in how we teach family medicine. Our faculty use the humanities (writing, visual arts, theater and improv, for example) to teach residents, students, and fellows about our patients' lives. These stories humanize the care we provide, give us the connections we desire, and keep us engaged in our discipline. We see narrative medicine as a way to use storytelling (in words, art, or language) to teach concepts related to the care of patients and communities. We welcome original research papers and brief reports about educational interventions or on observational studies examining various aspects of narrative medicine or the use of creative venues for teaching. We also welcome commentaries (with editor approval), FM Focus infographics, and narratives (personal stories) related to this topic.Potential topic areas include, but are not limited to:

• Reflective writing and storytelling in medical student, residency, or fellowship training
• Narrative approaches in K–12 or undergraduate pathway programs
• Use of narratives or visual arts in professional identity formation, equity, diversity, and inclusion, or wellness
• Patient and community narratives in teaching family medicine or community-oriented primary care, etc.
• Faculty development on writing, teaching, or using narratives in family medicine education

Specifically, we seek articles that address:

• How the use of narrative medicine affects faculty work-life integration and burnout
• How faculty use patient stories to teach learners about complex medical and social concerns
• Reading personal narratives to teach students and residents about professionalism
• How narrative medicine helps students and residents process challenging clinical scenarios
• How the use of theater or improv affects medical student or resident’s communication skills and feelings of empathy toward patients
• How narrative medicine teaches clinicians how to listen for patient stories, thereby making it easier to understand the patient’s life thereby improving care

Submit using Family Medicine's Online Manuscript Submission System. Mention the call for papers within your cover letter during the submission process. The deadline to submit is February 8, 2027.

60-Word Stories to Celebrate 60 Years

In 2027, STFM will mark its 60th anniversary. In recognition of this milestone, Family Medicine will publish several 60-word stories in each issue throughout the year. This special article type is in honor of the 60th anniversary (we normally publish 55 word stories). These stories are rich accounts from family medicine educators reflecting on the meaningful lessons, connections, and small moments that define academic family medicine. The stories are all exactly 60 words in length, and their authors represent the breadth and depth of our specialty. Look for these stories to appear in the January 2027 issue!