Freshman Honors Seminar
Fall 2012
Wednesdays, 4:55 – 7:25 p.m.
Dr. Michele Shedlin
New York University
College of Nursing, 726 Broadway, 10th Fl.
(212) 998-5714, mshedlin@nyu.edu
Suffering and Comfort in Narrative Medicine
V50.0393.001.FA12
Course Description:
The purpose of this seminar is to explore the nature of suffering and comfort, coping and
resilience. Scientific advances create heretofore unimaginable opportunities, choices, and
dilemmas for all of us as we seek to discern how to cope with disease, human suffering, and the
psychological consequences that are inevitable when illness and care needs create complexity
in our lives. To explore these issues, we will examine related readings from many sources,
including current newspaper and magazine articles, novels, poetry and religious texts. This will
guide our discussions on the cultural differences and historical changes in the way individuals
think about these important dimensions of the human experience. We will also discuss a
number of case studies written by eloquent individuals who have experienced and described
their difficult and inspiring journeys. Students will become familiar with the perspectives of
nurses, physicians, and clergy as they assist patients and families through the illness
experience which is continually balanced between suffering and comfort.
Readings and Written Assignments (Guidelines to be distributed in class):
Fadiman Essay Questions: 10%
Public Suffering and Illness Think Piece: 10%
Midterm Essay Exam: 25%, open book
Final Exam/: 35%
Class Participation: 20%
1. Wednesday, 9/5: Introductions, to each other and to the seminar. Review syllabus.
Assignment: Read and come prepared to discuss: Cousins, N. (1979). Anatomy of an Illness
as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration. New York: Norton.
2. Wednesday, 9/12: Assignment: Read and be prepared to discuss Didion, J. (2005) The Year
of Magical Thinking. New York, Random House. [We will have a brief presentation of APA
format for your assignments]
3. Wednesday, 9/19: Assignment: Read and be prepared to discuss: Watts, D. (2005). Bedside
Manners: One Doctor’s Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters Between Patient and
Healer. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Each student will be asked to describe a situation where they thought bedside manners/patient
provider interactions could have been improved.
4. Wednesday, 9/26: Assignment: Read Fadiman, A. (1997). The spirit catches you and you
fall down: A Hmong Child, her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1st
ed.). New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. [You may omit Chapters 10,12,14,16]. Answer
questions #3; #4; #5; #6; #7;#8; #10; #20 and #21 at the end of the book.
Your answers will be the basis of class discussion and will be turned in at the end of class.
5. Wednesday, 10/3: Be prepared to discuss two articles: “The Nature of Suffering and the
Goals of Medicine”, by Eric Cassel in the New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 306, No.11,
March 18, 1982 and “The Aquarium”, by Alexsandar Henon in the New Yorker, June 13 & 20,
2011.
6. Wednesday, 10/10: Assignment: Read and be prepared to discuss: Kushner, H. S. (2001).
When Bad Things Happen to Good People: New York: Schocken Books.
Be prepared to discuss the following questions: Is psychological suffering more painful than
physical suffering? Is the comfort involved in psychological pain easier or more difficult than the
comfort involved in relieving physical pain? Choose a position and defend it using the literature
you have read so far.
7. Wednesday, 10/17: We will be discussing how addiction to drugs and alcohol causes
psychological and physical suffering for users and their families. Assignment: Read and be
prepared to discuss Styron, W. (1990) Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness: New York,
Vintage Books. We will discuss this issue from the providers’ viewpoint in treating patients with
substance abuse issues and from the perspective of the recovering addict.
Film: “Is Mommy Allright”: Mothers, Drugs and Children.
8. Wednesday, 10/24: Midterm Essay Exam: in-class, open book, based on the readings and
class discussions to date.
9. Wednesday, 10/31: Prepare a 2-3 page think piece on Public Illness and Suffering, using
articles from current media such as magazines, newspapers, Science Sections of the New York
Times, TV programs. We will discuss these in class.
10. Wednesday, 11/7: Assignment: Read and come prepared to discuss Kübler-Ross, E.
(1969). On Death and Dying. New York: Macmillan and New York Times article “Keeping Them
Company at the End “(Blackboard). We will discuss challenges to her theory of stages with an
nurse expert on palliative care, Dorothy Wholihan from the NYU College of Nursing.
11. Wednesday, 11/14: Review the Old Testament, the Koran or another religious text of your
choice, and bring your notes to discuss a section that reflects comfort and suffering. We will
discuss whether the 21st century has made progress since ancient times in our capacity to
interface with mankind in the state of suffering. Dean James Pace, NYU College of Nursing will
join us for the discussion.
12. Wednesday, 11/21: Assignment: Read and respond to the suggested discussion questions
for Nuland, S. B. (1994). How we Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter (1st ed.). New York:
A.A. Knopf. (2 pp)
13. Wednesday, 11/28: Assignment: Read and be prepared to discuss: Groopman, J. E.
(2004). The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness (1st ed.). New
York: Random House.
14. Wednesday, 12/5: Film presentation: WIT with Emma Thompson; Review of the materials
covered for the final exam.
15. Wednesday, 12/12: Final exam
All books have been ordered for the bookstore.
_____________________________________________
Required Readings:
Cousins, N. (1979). Anatomy of an illness as perceived by the patient: Reflections on healing
and regeneration. New York: Norton.
Didion, J. (2005) The Year of Magical Thinking. New York, Random House.
Edwards, R.E. (2008) Competitive Debate, The Official Guide. New York, Penguin.
Fadiman, A. (1997). The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong Child, her American
Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1st ed.). New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Groopman, J. E. (2004). The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness (1st
ed.). New York: Random House.
Kübler-Ross, E. (1969). On Death and Dying. New York: Macmillan.
Kushner, H. S. (2001). When Bad Things Happen to Good People: With a new preface by the
author (20th anniversary ed.). New York: Schocken Books.
Nuland, S. B. (1994). How we Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter (1st ed.). New York: A.A.
Knopf: Distributed by Random House, Inc.
Styron, W. (1990) Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness: New York, Vintage Books
Watts, D. (2005). Bedside Manners: One Doctor’s Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters
Between Patient and Healer. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Extra Credit:
The bookstore has copies of The Best of the Bellevue Literary Review (2008), edited by
Danielle Ofri. The short stories and poetry in this volume will enrich your experience of this
course and contribute in important ways to your class discussions and exams.
Hadas, R. (2011). Strange Relation. Paul Dry Books, Inc. Philadelphia.
The New York Times Science Section (Tuesdays)