ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026
Inspiring the next generation: a qualitative study of rural healthcare professionals' experiences as "books" in a living library.
Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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5 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Rural medical education requires learning approaches that connect learners with the lived realities of rural practice. One structured approach is the Living Library model, using narratives of lived experiences of rural healthcare professionals as knowledge resource. The benefits on learner outcomes are well-established, such as increased empathy and improved understanding of social and professional contexts of health, but little is known on the impact of telling their stories on the storytellers. This study explored what it means for rural healthcare professionals to serve as "human books" in a Living Library. Methods: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to describe how human books experienced sharing their personal and professional stories to medical learners across all stages of training. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with human books and data were analyzed thematically to understand the meaning of this experience. Results: Three main themes emerged: (i) participants felt a strong sense of responsibility to share their experiences to inform and inspire future rural practitioners; (ii) story preparation was emotionally challenging and required psychological readiness; and (iii) storytelling offered personal benefits, including connection, reframing past experiences, and renewed sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Participants described being a "human book" as both educational and personally meaningful, affirming their professional identity as rural practitioners. Conclusion: The Living Library model is an innovative educational approach that offers dual benefits for learners and storytellers. Such narrative-based initiatives can enrich rural medical education by providing learners with authentic insights into healthcare in rural areas, while empowering the storytellers through the validation of their unique career paths. This can deepen rural healthcare professionals' understanding of their roles within the community, fostering agency and resilience, thereby enhancing wellbeing and professional satisfaction. Living Libraries can complement traditional curriculum and support rural workforce development in Canada and other underserved settings.
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