"Next to Normal" Narrative Medicine

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to bring a little Broadway to a narrative medicine session in Oceanside, NY. This was this group of surgery residents third narrative medicine session in as many months, so there was already an established rapport. In our first two sessions we used poetry and artwork, and when I asked the group what genre they wanted for session #3, the consensus was MUSIC!

The conference room, although cavernous, offered excellent acoustics for a bluetooth speaker playing the song "Who's Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I" from the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "Next to Normal." I chose this musical text because it is part of a larger compelling story about a patient with a long-term diagnosis and the impact it has on her family, herself, and her relationship with her doctor.

You can listen to the song HERE. I gave the group printed lyrics and asked them to read along silently. I noticed more than one person tapping their pen along to the tune. We discussed the longevity of the patient’s condition, the limitations of a physician to alter someone’s lifestyle choices, the potential for an unhealthy attachment between patient and doctor, the kind of “dance” that exists in the doctor/patient relationship, and the reality that some narratives don’t fit squarely into one category.

The writing prompt, "Write about an adjustment" inspired responses ranging from the professional (a seeming never-ending string of adjustments) to the personal (moving to New York, adjusting to becoming a new father). 

I recommend the judicious use of music in narrative medicine sessions because they are another form of lyrical poetry. Another option would be to project the lyrics, or better yet -- take your group to an actual show!