The Philadelphia Inquirer would like to thank our participants for tuning into our virtual health writing seminar for patients and practitioners. Professionals and patients, caregivers and advocates came together for this one-of-a-kind event to help you process, share, and elevate your health stories and experiences.
Over the course of the conference, our local panelists of healthcare experts shared their knowledge of the power of writing and storytelling - and taught the audience how they can do it, too.
Free access to this year’s event is provided by our sponsors: Presenting by Independence Blue Cross and Sponsor Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Please note:
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10 AM - 11 AM: How to write your health story
In a fresh take on Telling Your Health Story’s signature session, attendees learned about writing techniques and how to craft narratives out of their own health journeys from two physician-writers. Panelists included Dr. Amanda Swain, an author and Penn family physician and Dr. David Becker, a retired cardiologist who has been sharing his journey with brain cancer in columns for The Inquirer.
Reference: >>After brain cancer surgery, a physician gets an up-close view of rehab and what needs to change
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: How to use social media to share your health story
How do you begin to explain a new, mysterious virus that’s shutting down schools, suspending non-emergency medical services and forcing everyone to isolate in their homes? Call the Nerdy Girls, a Philadelphia-based group of scientists, medical professionals and epidemiologists whose blog Dear Pandemic gained national attention for its plain language explanations of the pandemic. Philadelphia nurse and CEO of the Nerdy Girls Ashley Ritter joined The Inquirer’s health team for a conversation about communicating health through social media.
1 PM - 2 PM: One doctor’s journey to uncovering untold health stories -- and her own
Jasmine Brown, a Penn medical student and Rhodes Scholar, is the author of Twice as Hard, which details the stories of the nation’s pioneering Black women physicians and her own journey into the medical profession. She shares her experiences as a writer and student doctor in the panel discussion with Dr. Arlene Bennett, the first Black woman to graduate from Penn Medicine and Dr. Eve Higginbotham, Penn’s VP for Diversity and Inclusion.
