Deep Explore Abstract Student: Michelle Bui

Advisor: Shieva Khayam-Bashi, MD

Title: Intertwine: An Arts and Humanities Journal for UCSF Health Professional Students

Background: In the last few decades, increased awareness around mental health and burnout have ignited a national resurgence of the arts and humanities in healthcare. However, researchers have identified challenges in the sustainability of this movement, notably the lack of interprofessional representation and defined educational objectives. Efforts at UCSF have been no exception, with many ideas coming in waves and receding, leading to a scattered and faded body of work.

Aims: We sought to create an interprofessional online journal, Intertwine, based on the Prism Model, which identifies core functions of the arts and humanities within healthcare. In filling the gaps of interprofessional inclusivity and educational value, we hoped to chronicle the diverse narratives at our institution and build a sustainable platform for the arts and humanities in healthcare.

Methods: After acquiring seed funding from the Innovations Funding for Education Grant from the UCSF Academy of Medical Educators, we recruited an interprofessional student editorial board and faculty and staff advisory board. We met approximately biweekly to layout the structure of the journal, including the mission and values, website and design platforms, and editing process. In January 2024, we launched a call for submissions across UCSF’s health professional schools.

Results: By May 2024, we expect to have reviewed and edited submitted pieces, launched our website, and celebrated our inaugural issue with an on-campus publication event. Reflections and Future Directions: Through the recruitment and submission phases, we witnessed a strong passion for the arts and humanities across UCSF grounded in the tenets of the Prism Model. This process also revealed a key challenge in terms of sustainability: financial support, which reliably exists for other scholarly work. Faced with this barrier, our board continues to find creative ways to fund our efforts and not only sustain Intertwine, but the arts and humanities as a foundation to human health and wellbeing.