Class 1: Showing Up

On Thursday, January 6 shortly before 1:00 pm, they began to wander in bit by bit. Primarily first year medical students at UCSD, these men and women looked fresh-faced and curious, nervously eyeing the circular arrangement of chairs in the classroom where they are accustomed to collecting critical exam results on other occasions. This time they are here to relax, to “get control”, “empty my mind”, to learn a new “skill”, or to reduce stress. At this point, it’s all good, because they are here. As they say about some raffles, “must be present to win.”

After reviewing logistics I asked each person to say a bit about themselves and why they are here, and this is where they shared the various goals noted above. We moved right from this into the now infamous Raisin Exercise. The responses were varied and interesting, not that unusual for a typical MBSR class, but this is not a typical group. Young, well-educated, driven, ambitious and overworked medical students in a major medical school, facing a long haul toward becoming doctors. Walking a path that is rife with potential pitfalls, challenges, burnout, disillusionment and disappointment. But they are still in touch with the tremendous upside of being a doctor, touching and saving lives, and making a difference. But first and foremost, they are human beings, just like the thousands of people who have sat in an MBSR classroom the world over, and encountered a raisin with fresh eyes. Perhaps it is no wonder that their responses are not much different from any other MBSR class, because they are not much different than those people who will someday be their patients . . .

Since the practice of medicine revolves around the human body, it seems completely natural that we transition next into the Body Scan. 30 minutes spent simply being present in the body, moving the attention systematically and (sometimes) patiently from location to location with no agenda other than to be present and aware. Discussion afterwards focused on struggles with staying still (“Who said anything about having to stay still?” I ask provocatively, to highlight our tendency to box ourselves in with our stories) and then we wrap up. Their assignment is to practice the Body Scan 20 minutes a day, every day, to complete a problem-solving exercise (9 Dots) and to read some excerpts from Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, along with a couple short pieces on reconnecting to the heart of the practice of medicine.

And so the adventure begins . . .