The Stuff of Life: Hope when You Need it Most

Pegasus Physicians is comprised of academic and private practice physicians in various stages of career development who also are creative writers. The group was founded in 2008 by Audrey Shafer, M.D. (Anesthesia), Hans Steiner, M.D. (Psychiatry and Human Development), Irvin Yalom, M.D. (Psychiatry) and Larry Zaroff, M.D., Ph.D., (Cardiac Surgery). The group currently has some 60 members from all branches of medicine participating in monthly meetings, workshops and annual readings. Our members write poetry, fiction, fictionalized memoirs, op-ed pieces and educational texts for the lay public with the intent to broaden public understanding of the science and art of medicine. Other goals of the group are to bring the insights of humanistic arts to the practice of medicine; to inform creative writing by the practice of medicine and to educate medical students and young physicians in the humanistic dimensions of medical practice.  We also celebrate the lives of our patients through our writing.

Recently, the Pegasus group was featured in an article about the Arts, Humanities & Medicine Programs that allow Stanford School of Medicine students to explore their artistic passions in conjunction with their medical studies:http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/july/humanities-medical-students-070212.html