Narrative Medicine Internships

The Chronic Pain Project is a small, local nonprofit organization created to make chronic pain visible through art and artwork. The chronic pain experience is captured both verbally and/or visually through sculpture, collage or any preferred visual medium. Global participants meet in regular remote art-making sessions and submit work and interviews about their experience of pain and making artwork.

Participants in the Chronic Pain Project can come from anywhere in the world. They submit pre-existing pieces of artwork or make a special piece for exhibition with CPP. Once the piece is created, the artist is interviewed remotely. These interviews are then available on the YouTube channel and by QR code at the exhibit itself so that viewers can not only see the art, but hear directly from the artist about their experience and why they created the piece.

Fora Health provides inpatient and outpatient care for people struggling with substance use disorders. Three undergraduate interns supported the development of narrative medicine-based programs over the past three years at Fora. Residential Writing Circle, a weekly narrative medicine group, an Outpatient Writing Circle: In response to feedback from graduates of the residential program, Staff DEI Communities of Practice for Fora staff members that have focused on honoring the voices of diverse artists. Residential Poetry Corner, a community bulletin board where clients share their own writing and can read the writing of others.

Everyone has experiences with health and illness.

The mission of Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative is to create a community that learns, practices, and teaches what to do with health narratives and stories. We work to center stories in health and healing to shape new cultures of care.

nwnmcollaborative.org

Write 2 Relate is a narrative medicine practice that builds better health. The Center for Community and Global Health is working to bring this short reflective writing tool to the LC campus by training 8 to 12 LC students to facilitate it.

Are you developing narrative medicine programming in the pacific northwest region? If you have a project that would benefit from a dedicated Lewis & Clark student, and if you are interested in the staffing support this program offers, please email Alexis Rehrmann, Program Manager, Community Partnerships and Narrative Medicine.

We are happy to discuss!

Up to two students will be hired into narrative medicine internships each semester.

Priority will be given to Health Studies Minors and students enrolled in an internship class. See full Resume Review Rubric for complete requirements.

Internships are paid at minimum wage and may be funded up to 8 hours/week for up to 13 weeks (ie: one full semester, excluding breaks).

Internship hours will be paid directly through Lewis & Clark College and submitted weekly in Workday for review and approval.

Narrative Medicine Interns will meet regularly LC Faculty or with Center for Community and Global Health staff. This meeting will act as supervisory and management support and is part of the paid internship hours.

Interns will meet regularly with their supervisor at the community partner.