Course description

Research & Creative Writing for Medics: Publish and Storytell in the Age of AI trains clinicians, trainees, and health-science communicators to produce clear, trustworthy academic work and compelling creative pieces that bridge evidence and narrative. The course recognizes that written works broadly fall into two domains — academic (nonfiction, factual) and creative (fictional, imaginative) — while exploring the many subgenres and hybrid forms (creative nonfiction, biographical novel, nonfiction novel) where those worlds meet. You will learn practical, discipline-appropriate methods for designing studies, writing publishable scholarly articles, and crafting creative narratives that communicate medical ideas to broad audiences — all while using generative AI responsibly.

What you’ll get:

• Modules on research design, structured literature synthesis, IMRaD manuscript drafting, and reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA).

• Modules on narrative craft: character, scene, point of view, pacing, and genre conventions (literary vs genre fiction; memoir and creative nonfiction techniques).

• Practical crossover lessons showing how evidence can be translated into narrative (e.g., narrative medicine essays, case-based vignettes, patient stories) without compromising confidentiality or accuracy.

• A focused ethics and AI module: how to use AI tools for literature searches, language editing, idea generation, and storyboarding while disclosing assistance and verifying outputs.

• Templates and checklists: IMRaD skeletons, cover letters, consent/ethics prompts for narrative pieces, creative nonfiction fact-checking checklist, and AI disclosure language.

• Hands-on exercises: write an abstract, draft a methods section, craft a clinical vignette for public audiences, and convert a literature summary into a short narrative.

• Assessment: quizzes, peer review tasks, and a portfolio (either a submission-ready manuscript or a short creative piece rooted in clinical reality + a nonfiction fact sheet).

• Certificate on completion and optional instructor manuscript/creative critique (paid add-on).

Who should take this course:

• Clinicians, medical students, nurses, allied health professionals, and clinician-researchers who want to publish research or communicate clinical knowledge through creative forms.

• Health communicators and educators who use storytelling to teach or advocate.

• Writers in medical settings who need to balance factual accuracy with narrative craft.

Outcomes:
After the course you will be able to produce rigorously reported academic manuscripts and ethically grounded creative pieces that accurately convey medical content, choose appropriate publication venues, and apply AI tools transparently to accelerate (not replace) your work.

What will i learn?

• Differentiate academic and creative genres in health writing and identify hybrid forms such as creative nonfiction and biographical novels.
• Formulate clear research questions and select appropriate study designs for publishable work.
• Conduct structured literature searches and synthesize findings into concise evidence summaries suitable for both academic and narrative uses.
• Draft publication-quality IMRaD sections that comply with major reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA).
• Apply core elements of storytelling (scene, character, voice) to craft clinical narratives that respect confidentiality and factual integrity.
• Produce reproducible tables and figures and craft captions that meet journal standards.
• Translate research findings into accessible narratives (op-eds, creative nonfiction, patient education) without misrepresenting evidence.
• Demonstrate ethical, transparent use of generative AI — including disclosure language and verification steps.
• Perform structured peer reviews and write professional, point-by-point responses to reviewer comments.
• Submit a final portfolio consisting of either a submission-ready manuscript or a polished creative piece plus supporting evidence and ethical documentation.

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