Film Forum

The Master of Science in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) is designed for health professionals, writers, and scholars. It focuses on applying narrative skills to improve healthcare delivery and patient experiences. The program emphasizes the importance of storytelling in understanding patient experiences and fostering empathy among healthcare providers.

Mary E. Sormanti, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.S., Program Director & Lecturer, Narrative Medicine and Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia School of Social Work has experience in direct practice, program development, and research with individuals, families, and communities affected by serious illness, bereavement, intimate partner violence, and disaster. She has worked in partnership with local and national organizations including the Open Society Institute’s Project on Death in America, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Project Liberty. Dr. Sormanti maintains clinical licensure in New York and in Massachusetts.

Maura Spiegel, Ph.D. is a Founder and Co-Director of the CUIMC Division of Narrative Medicine, is Senior Lecturer of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, where she teaches courses on fiction and film. Her book, Sidney Lumet: A Life, was published by St. Martin's Press in 2019. Professor Spiegel co-edited the journal Literature and Medicine with Rita Charon, MD, Ph.D., for seven years. In addition, her book, The Breast Book: An Intimate and Curious History (Workman), was a Book-of-the-Month Club Quality Paperbacks selection. She has written for The New York Times and has published essays on the history of the emotions, Charles Dickens, diamonds in the movies, among many other topics.

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