Target Audience

Healthcare providers of all specialties may benefit from the information presented.

Goals and Objectives

Narrative medicine assists clinicians to reflect on patient care experiences and may therefore also promote the personal and professional well-being of medical providers, including physicians and medical students. By processing experiences through reading, writing, and discussion, strategies can be learned that benefit personal well-being and improve patient care. The Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine offers a narrative medicine elective to fourth-year students who participate in reading, writing, and discussion activities that focus on processing their medical school experiences. Dr. Sarah E. Stumbar, Ms. Marthena Phan, and Ms. Marquita Samuels, MBA discuss their study that evaluated the potential roles of this course in promoting strategies for personal well-being and improved patient careAt the conclusion of this activity, the learner should be able to:

• Identify and understand the potential narrative medicine can offer in promoting well-being and increased self-satisfaction among healthcare workers.
• Develop knowledge, skills, and  strategies to improve patient care and personal well-being.

Course Information

CME Release Date: March 16, 2023
Valid for credit through: March 15, 2026 
Course type: Enduring Material
Estimated time of completion: 30 minutes

Credits Available

Southern Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Southern Medical Association designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of .5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

 AAPA: AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society. 

AANPCP: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Healthcare Professionals: For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.  All healthcare professionals who are not MDs or DOs will receive a certificate of participation.

Instructions for Participation and Credit

This activity is designed to be completed within the time designated; learners should claim only those credits that reflect the time actually spent in the activity. To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period noted, following these steps:

• Read the goals and objectives, accreditation information, and author disclosures.
• Login in below to study the educational content and references.
• Complete the attestation, post-test (if applicable), and evaluation.

Upon successful completion of these components, your certificate will be processed and emailed from customerservice@sma.org within approximately 1 hour. Credits will be archived for 6 years; at any point within this time period you may login to your account to print a duplicate copy of your certificate.

Disclosures of Conflicts of Interest

Southern Medical Association (SMA) requires instructors, planners, managers, and all other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose conflicts of interest (COI) with ineligible entities within the last 24 months of the development of this activity. All identified COIs are thoroughly vetted and mitigated prior to the release of the activity. SMA is committed to providing its learners with high quality activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

The following individuals have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Special Guests

Marthena Phan, BS
Marthena Phan, BS, is a first-year medical student at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami. She is interested in pediatrics and neurology. When not studying or working with Dr. Stumbar, Marthena enjoys swimming, rollerblading, playing guitar, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Marquita Samuels, MBA
Marquita Samuels, MBA, has worked at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine for the past 12 years managing the primary care clinical course. She earned her MBA in 2018 from Florida International University and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in higher education after discovering her passion for medical education curriculum.

Sarah Stumbar, MD, MPH
Sarah Stumbar, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Assistant Dean for Clinical Education at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami. She teaches medical students at all stages of their training and oversees the third and fourth-year clinical curriculum. In addition, she provides health care, including expanded access to family planning services, to the underserved communities of Opa Locka and Miami Gardens. Dr Stumbar, who has a deeply ingrained commitment to social justice and reproductive health care, believes that compassionate and equitable health care can change lives and entire communities. She has published multiple narrative essays and papers about her experiences and won numerous awards for her commitment to community health and humanistic medicine.