Rita Charon, MD, PhD
Narrative
medicine as a relative newcomer continues to attract serious attention among
health care professionals, despite the puzzlement of medical insiders who
wonder what this alien creature is. Rita Charon, MD, PhD, founding director of
the new program in narrative medicine at the Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons, offers a clear description: she uses the term narrative medicine to
mean medicine practiced with “narrative skills.” where “The sick need people
who can understand their diseases, treat their medical problems, and accompany
them through their illnesses.”
