The Art and Soul of the Practice of Medicine
Course Description:
Practice is a purposeful word related to our Craft as Medical Practitioners. It is the actual application of ideas, beliefs, or methods, as opposed to mere theories. In addition to medical practice, ongoing practice in physical arts, visual arts, literature, philosophy, and cosmology enhances our existence. The arts and sciences are indispensable and inseparable. The role as a Practitioner encompasses all of these. This practice requires lifelong learning, striving for excellence with no expectation for perfection, but continual enhancement.
General Course Purpose:
To stay passionate by using our “Art” as the expression of our creativity and imagination inspiring our enthusiasm, energy and vitality.
Course Prerequisites:
Current Healthcare Practitioners or Practitioners in training
Course Objectives:
We are blessed not to be limited to only medication for treating persons, preventing disease and enhancing quality of life. While it is still important to expand our base of knowledge and practice our technical expertise to improve proficiency, we should also be in the mindset of “Sankofa”: Looking backward for deep-rooted underlying “truths” while simultaneously seeking innovation to systematically push the envelope forward.
- Awareness of the placebo and nocebo effects and how that can be applied to partnering with patients in their care.
- Applying Deep thought to our self-analysis and evaluation of others
- Gaining the fortitude for Courageous Conversations with confidence to stand in our authority with appropriate boundaries
- How to lead by example
- Use Mindfulness techniques of “beginners mind” to avoid assumptions and allows for deep meeting
- Acquire Cultural competence to acknowledge our own biases but supersede them
- Mastery of the “Art of Soulful Communication” using the ancient principles of “The Teachings of Ptahotep”
- Embodying the principles of Detachment
Major Topics to be covered:
- Communication
- Self-expression
- Boundaries
- Equanimity
“We are only one thread in the fabric of life and not the weaver.” Deborah L. Bernal M.D.
