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ASME Mindfulness in Medical Education


Dr Elinor Gunning, Course Lead for the Year 6 GPSA, Year 2 GP SCA and Module lead for Year 3 SSC ‘The Science of Yoga and Mindfulness’.
In November 2017 I attended the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Mindfulness in Medical Education Special Interest Group showcase and Inaugural meeting.  Based in the Barts pathology lab, surrounded by medical specimens looking down on us, medical educators from around the country gathered to discuss how mindfulness is currently being taught in medical schools.  The day was a fascinating exploration of current practices and research, with presentations from ophthalmic surgeons, A&E consultants, and GPs who are all trying to incorporate mindfulness into their own practices and promote it to their students.  I presented our innovative 3rd year SSC ‘The Science of Yoga and Mindfulness’ to the group, which stimulated much discussion.  As a group we discussed the ideal way to teach and assess mindfulness in medical education, and as the special interest group moves forwards we will be collaborating to draw up best practice guidelines to guide future educators hoping to develop mindfulness teaching in their own institutions.




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