Holding a Virtual Storytelling Event: MCW’s MedMoth

From the 4/16/2021 newsletter

Holding a Virtual Storytelling Event: MCW’s MedMoth

Scott Lamm - MCW-Milwaukee Class of 2022

Mr. Lamm is one of the student leaders of MCW’s MedMoth, a live storytelling event inspired by The Moth and Milwaukee’s Ex Fabula. He reviews the most recent gathering and looks toward the future … 

One year ago, I had no idea how we could make MCW’s MedMoth storytelling event virtual. While yes, storytelling can be accomplished on various platforms, I struggled to grasp how we could take an intimate night of face-to-face interaction and connection and build the same atmosphere from the comfort of one’s home. It was a task, though, that the MedMoth team was prepared to undertake to continue the program.

In the runup to the main event, we held two virtual workshops facilitated by staff at Ex Fabula, a Milwaukee-based storytelling community. Working with other participants, our storytellers developed their narratives and honed their presentation skills. 

What we witnessed on April 8, 2021 was a celebration of stories connecting faculty, residents, staff, and students alike in ways we couldn’t have even imagined. We had eight wonderful storytellers sharing accounts ranging from how they bonded with the supply robots at Children’s to responding to a horrific trauma event as an EMT. Each storyteller brought their own experience and vulnerability on journeys that were both familiar and astonishing. 

About sixty people were in attendance from all aspects of healthcare and all points of the training spectrum. It was absolutely incredible to see a virtual group so engaged in everyone’s stories and, hopefully, they left wanting more. As we believe that there is intrinsic value to these types of narrative opportunities, we gathered data from both the participants and the audience on their experiences. 

As we continue to build the MedMoth program, we hope we can inspire more storytellers and listeners as each of us have a story to tell. It’s just a matter of when will you share it.

Please feel free to follow MCW MedMoth on Instagram (@mcwmedmoth) for updates on future events. We will be back in the Fall with more workshops and storytelling events. If you have any questions or would like to join our team, please feel free to reach out to me (Scott Lamm) at slamm@mcw.edu.

MedMoth is graciously sponsored by the Kern Institute. We would like to thank the entire institute for its continued support.

Scott Lamm is a third-year medical student at MCW-Milwaukee.