The creativity projects are a centerpiece of this elective, for those folks who elect to take the "internship" track.

     Even so, our emphasis is not on producing "masterpieces," by any means - or even necessarily on completing the projects!  Our focus instead is on the creative process: the development of something original/new/unique - and, most important of all - your involvement with a project and process which you find to be challenging and fun.

     As I mentioned in the course description, I'd much rather that you turned in a rough and incomplete project which has challenged your abilities and focused on new skills and techniques, rather than producing a polished manuscript or artistic creation which you've been working on for the past 20 years.

     But in order to demonstrate the wide range of projects and possibilities available to you--as well as provide a sort of "Creativity Hall of Fame," the links below are tied to a sample of recent student projects which managed to achieve both objectives: challenging the student (and instructor) while ultimately creating an oustanding project whose appeal extends well beyond the boundaries of the class.  The list is necessarily incomplete; since I began teaching these electives in 1988, senior med students have developed some truly remarkable stories, poems, drawings and screenplays. Several excellent stories have been done in the past year or two, but I need to double-check and make sure I have permission to post them (I never post work on the web - even in this class - unless I've checked with the author/artist ahead of time!).

     Of course, if you are willing to grant permission, I'd love to be able to share your project with future classes as well -- but there's no pressure or obligation whatsoever!  Over the years, several of my students have continued their writing or artistic endeavors long after graduation, and a few have managed to sell or publish their work through major outlets.

   All of which leads me to just one minor request: when you make it onto the New York Times best-seller list, or your paintings are displayed in the Guggenheim Museum, don't forget your dear, old "creativity attending" from the distant days of medical school -- and cut me in for a slice of the royalties! ;-)

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