Background: Physician and trainee burnout are becoming an epidemic within the medical community. Objective: This paper describes an innovative emergent curriculum that uses narrative medicine, creative activities, and group discussions to alleviate burnout. Methods: Between August 2016 and August 2019, 394 medical trainees participated in sessions that focused on themes relevant to promoting wellbeing, such as maintaining sensitivity to patients and finding balance. After the activities, trainees answered survey questions that related to the session theme and aided in reflection. Discussion: The student responses showed the program supported introspection that left students feeling less tired, more relaxed, and connected with one another.
Keywords: Narrative medicine; burnout; emergent curriculum; inter-disciplinary research; resilience.