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. 2007 Oct;29(8):778-84.
doi: 10.1080/01421590701509647. Epub 2007 Sep 27.

Promoting self-awareness and reflection through an experiential mind-body skills course for first year medical students

Pamela A Saunders  1 , Rochelle E Tractenberg, Ranjana Chaterji, Hakima Amri, Nancy Harazduk, James S Gordon, Michael Lumpkin, Aviad Haramati
Affiliations

Promoting self-awareness and reflection through an experiential mind-body skills course for first year medical students

Pamela A Saunders et al. Med Teach. 2007 Oct.

Abstract

Background: This research examines student evaluations of their experience and attitudes in an 11 week mind-body skills course for first year medical students.

Aims: The aim is to understand the impact of this course on students' self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-care as part of their medical education experience.

Methods: This study uses a qualitative content analysis approach to data analysis. The data are 492 verbatim responses from 82 students to six open-ended questions about the students' experiences and attitudes after a mind-body skills course. These questions queried students' attitudes about mind-body medicine, complementary medicine, and their future as physicians using these approaches.

Results: The data revealed five central themes in students' responses: connections, self discovery, stress relief, learning, and medical education.

Conclusions: Mind-body skills groups represent an experiential approach to teaching mind-body techniques that can enable students to achieve self-awareness and self-reflection in order to engage in self-care and to gain exposure to mind-body medicine while in medical school.

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Figure 1
Structure of mind-body skills group session.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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