Session 7b: Workshop - The Performance of Doctoring
Susan Massad - Attending Physician, Long Island College Hospital, Clinical Asst. Prof. Of Med, SUNY Brooklyn Health Science Center, NY NY 10014

Zeev Neuwirth MD
Attending Physician Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC, Clinical Asst. Prof of Med, NYU School of Medicine
Lenox Hill Hospital, Black Hall 6th Floor, NY, NY 1002

The Performance of doctoring is an innovative and highly interactive education program being offered to medical residents at two New York City Hospitals. Launched five years ago, the performance training project assists young physicians to develop the tools they need to create more empathetic and healthful relationships with patients and colleagues. In these trainings physicians participate in improvisational exercises and dramatic performance of a variety of health care relationships and situations including doctor-patient, doctor-nurse, and doctor-family. The course is a component of the mandatory psychosocial curriculum.

Improvisation and dramatic performance have much to offer in the training of young physicians in the art of conversation. Dramatic improvisation requires the performing physician to attend to the other participants on stage, to listen attentively and to accept unconditionally what has been said and done. This philosophic activity, referred to as 'yes-and', is a basic improvisational tenet that is the basis for a multitude of improvisational exercises. The 'yes-and' concept/performance stands in contrast to the 'no-but' reflex/response often exhibited by physicians in their expert role. Improvisation and dramatic performance also train participants to listen to the most important and meaningful themes or 'offerings' presented by others.

The approach presents a challenge to the understanding that relationship building, i.e., getting to know the patient, is a separate activity from the scientific activity of doctoring, i.e., information exchange. Another important lesson garnered from improvisation and dramatic performance is the understanding that one can instantly create (direct) and recreate(redirect) the scenes of one's life. This is a liberating discovery that allows physicians to explore their own creative potential in shaping and reshaping their professional relationships.

This will be an experiential workshop; participants will have an opportunity to experience performance training by taking part in improvisation exercises and games and improvising their own scenes.