The Doolin Memorial Lecture 2025

Abstract

Dr Suzanne Crowe opened her lecture by stating that we humans have always been story tellers. Storytelling is a biological necessity. It is the vehicle used to transmit knowledge, express empathy, and to determine the best course of action. Stories capture who we are and they help to shape us.

Stories predate science and writing. Every community had a storytelling process. The ability to recount our day-to-day experiences is what gave us our biological advantage. It provides us with the platform to warn, teach and enquire. Any one of us, using the story format, can in a matter of minutes compress our life experiences. When a patient tells their medical story, it lights up different parts of the listener’s brain. It is well recognized that an individual patient’s story can transform a doctor’s thinking and approach to the delivery of medical care. Data shifts one’s mind and stories shift one’s heart. The story leads and drives the commitment to the provision of holistic care.