There are so many amazing and wonderful arts resources and courses across the country.
Take a look at what is happening near to you or online.
The resources on the website have been created to inspire your own learning or teaching.
If you would like to explore the art of medicine in more detail I am available to facilitate an interactive seminar or give a talk based on the resources on the website. I can tailor the content and style of the session to meet your aims; a ninety-minute seminar can provide a great introductory session, whereas a half or whole day allows for a broader more interactive session covering issues in greater depth.
I offer sessions on:
- The Art and Science of Surviving and Thriving in Work
- The Art of General Practice and Medicine (on any topic related to being a GP or working with patients)
- Creative Arts for Health and Wellbeing
See below for more details
The Art and Science of Surviving and Thriving in Work
This can run as a lecture-style session or as a facilitated interactive session.
An overview of a session
Understanding our motivation for work and how this links to stress in the workplace is important for maintaining job satisfaction. A key part of the seminar is developing an understanding of the neurophysiological and psychological explanations of stress. This is delivered in a style that is accessible to both medical and non-medical staff. The knowledge makes it easier to understand evidence-based strategies for improving wellbeing and reducing stress, these are presented in a useful framework with take-home exercises to promote change. The session can be run for individuals wanting to develop coping strategies or for organisations wishing to improve wellbeing in work.
Examples of recent work:
- Regular whole day seminars for GP Trainers at HEE Spring and Autumn School (sessions run with Dr David Fair)
- 2021 – Pennine GP Training Scheme – half-day workshop
- 2021 – Y&H HEE GP Retainer Scheme– half-day workshop
- 2021 – Yorkshire CCG PLT
- 2020- York CCG PLT Workshops for all practice staff
- 2020 – York Medical Society Seminar for consultants and GPs
- 2019 and 2020 York Festival of Ideas(Public event)
Feedback
A super, well run, friendly session especially valuable given the current pressures in primary care
Have taken away ideas and started a Wellbeing Group within the practice.
Made me focus on me. I don’t get a lot of time to think about ‘me’ in medicine so this was some well deserved reflective time with useful, practical tips to prioritise our needs as people.
The Art of General Practice- seminars, workshops and conferences
The arts can be used as a catalyst for discussion and learning about any aspect of working as a GP.
Art can:
- Broaden our experience and exposure to other worlds
- Help us see the world (issues and problems) from different perspectives.
- Deepen our understanding of how illnesses impact an individual’s life.
- Help us explore the challenge of managing uncertainty.
- Reflect real life and so can trigger powerful responses and emotions
Art is:
- A neutral and non-medical resource to help problem solve.
- A novel resource that might be a safer way of exploring difficult issues
- Something that takes you outside your comfort zone.
- A tool to help you explore your own feelings and can take you outside your comfort zone
Doctors are naturally curious. Art can develop this curiosity by helping doctors make sense of the world, develop problem-solving skills and break down cultural barriers and biases. The practice of medicine can be described as an art. Art can act as a reminder to doctors that patients are human. Understanding an individual who is suffering from the disease is as important as understanding the disease the person is suffering from. Art can encourage doctors to stop and think about the person they are caring for.
Examples of recent sessions:
2011 ongoing Regular workshops for GP Trainers Y&H HEE Autumn and Spring School – topics include: Compassion, Loss, Identity, Gender, Power in medicine, Culture and Connection.
GP School Art Club 4th Thursday of each month 19.30-21.00 on Zoom. Invite via email through HEE Y&H Blackboard. The aim of GP School Art Club is for trainees and educators to learn together about an aspect of General Practice using art (film, painting, photos, literature, poems, music) as a catalyst for discussion.
Regular HDR Teaching sessions for GP Trainees – recent topics include Compassion in medicine, Film Club- Social deprivation and inequality
2020 and 2021 Y&H Trainee Conference – workshops- The Art of General Practice & Setting the scene for learning.
Feedback
Excellent content and resources. I cannot rate the day highly enough.
I thought it was a fantastic course. Would highly recommend the course, it exceeded my expectations.
I will try and use art in my teaching in future to trigger discussions.
The seminar on compassion was superb.
Creative Art for Health and Wellbeing
The sessions I organise enable participants to experience the power of the arts while learning from artists and social prescribers about the role of community-based resources for everyone’s health and wellbeing.
Take a look at my BMJ article to find out more about how being creative and engaging in community-based arts activities is proven to improve health and wellbeing.
2021 Y&H HEE GP Trainee Conference The Power of Poetry, ‘in conversation’ with @theemergencypoet from The Poetry Pharmacy
2020 The Bigger Picture Vale of York CCG 300 primary care clinicians, social prescribers, local arts workers and community groups experiencing the power of the arts, singing, dancing and thinking about how community-based resources can help health and well being. in York. Check out the film on Youtube
2019 York and Scarborough GPST A day of learning about the power of the arts and the importance of community-based resources. Take a look at the film. Supported by Arts Council England and Health Education England
If you are interested in me helping your organisation learn more about the power of the arts or how to survive and thrive in work please contact me via the ‘contact me’ form on the website
This is my up to date biography
Dr. Nicola Gill is a GP educator and is part of a team who organise GP Training in York. She has over 20 years’ experience of working as a GP. She believes that the arts have a powerful role to play in helping doctors learn. She manages a website of creative arts resources for learning, teaching and maintaining the art of medicine www.theartofmedicine.co.uk
She co-facilitates the arts-based seminars ‘Maintaining the Art of General Practice’ for GP Trainers, runs a GP School Art Club for trainees and promotes using the creative arts in medical education. She also facilitates seminars to help clinicians and their staff survive and thrive in work.
Updated August 2021
The resources on the website have been created to inspire your own learning or teaching.
If you would like to explore the art of medicine in more detail I am available to facilitate an interactive seminar or give a talk based on the resources on the website. I can tailor the content and style of the session to meet your aims; a ninety-minute seminar can provide a great introductory session, whereas a half or whole day allows for a broader more interactive session covering issues in greater depth.
I offer sessions on:
- The Art and Science of Surviving and Thriving in Work
- The Art of General Practice and Medicine (on any topic related to being a GP or working with patients)
- Creative Arts for Health and Wellbeing
See below for more details
The Art and Science of Surviving and Thriving in Work
This can run as a lecture-style session or as a facilitated interactive session.
An overview of a session
Understanding our motivation for work and how this links to stress in the workplace is important for maintaining job satisfaction. A key part of the seminar is developing an understanding of the neurophysiological and psychological explanations of stress. This is delivered in a style that is accessible to both medical and non-medical staff. The knowledge makes it easier to understand evidence-based strategies for improving wellbeing and reducing stress, these are presented in a useful framework with take-home exercises to promote change. The session can be run for individuals wanting to develop coping strategies or for organisations wishing to improve wellbeing in work.
Examples of recent work:
- Regular whole day seminars for GP Trainers at HEE Spring and Autumn School (sessions run with Dr David Fair)
- 2021 – Pennine GP Training Scheme – half-day workshop
- 2021 – Y&H HEE GP Retainer Scheme– half-day workshop
- 2021 – Yorkshire CCG PLT
- 2020- York CCG PLT Workshops for all practice staff
- 2020 – York Medical Society Seminar for consultants and GPs
- 2019 and 2020 York Festival of Ideas(Public event)
Feedback
A super, well run, friendly session especially valuable given the current pressures in primary care
Have taken away ideas and started a Wellbeing Group within the practice.
Made me focus on me. I don’t get a lot of time to think about ‘me’ in medicine so this was some well deserved reflective time with useful, practical tips to prioritise our needs as people.