Verhalen, verhalen

Literature & Medicine (LitMed) education and research is a component of what internationally is known as Medical Humanities. The authors of the 2009 Master Plan Medical Education in the Netherlands argue that LitMed should be part of the medical curriculum. We explore the position of LitMed in undergraduate medical education in the Netherlands. We also examine LitMed’s position from the perspective of changes in health care, especially in relation to people with chronic illnesses. Self management and shared decision making emphasise the importance of the patient’s story in medical care. This underlines the added value of LitMed. We discuss genres, sources and effects of LitMed. A brief description of an Honours Class in LitMed at Leiden University Medical Centre illustrates these themes. LitMed is well worth researching and this would also further underpin and strenghthen its role in medical education. (Kaptein AA, Geest S van der, Meulenberg F. Narrating stories. Netherlands Journal of Medical Education 2011;30(3):91-100.)