Activity Introduction:  In this activity, you will assume two roles. First, you will write a letter to the editor to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Apply principles of social-behavioral sciences to the provision of patient care, including assessment of the impact of psychosocial and cultural influences on health, disease, care-seeking, care compliance, and barriers to and attitudes toward care
• Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations, including those about death, end of life, adverse events, bad news, disclosure of errors, and other sensitive topics
• Demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for others
• Demonstrate the qualities required to sustain lifelong personal and professional growth
• Demonstrate tolerance for the ambiguity and unpredictability of the world and its effect on the healthcare system.

Second, you will act as a peer-reviewer by reviewing the letter of one of your peers and providing them with constructive feedback. 

Step 1: Identify a recent article in a newspaper, magazine, or a peer-reviewed health sciences journal that has relevance to an aspect of humanism in health and health care that you would like to respond to – examples may include articles related to marginalized groups, lack of caring behaviors, ethics violations, ethical dilemmas related to global work, or another topic covered in the Humanism in Health and Healthcare Course.

 Step 2: Write a letter to the publication and the audience of the publication. The publication’s “Letters to the Editor” instructions should be followed. Ensure that what you write about does not create unreasonable risks and if you are unsure discuss this with a mentor who is familiar with your context. See here for a discussion of communications that could be risky for journalists and writers. And here is an additional, optional resource. Your letter should be polished and demonstrate the competencies described in Part One. 

Step 3: Submit your letter and a link to the publication's “Letters to the Editor” instructions in the forum I “Draft Letter, Instructions Link, and Peer Feedback” below to receive feedback from your peers. Incorporate their suggestions as appropriate. If you cannot come to a consensus with your peer about incorporating appropriate suggestions, ask a mentor for help. 

Step 4: Review a peer’s letter to the editor (see forum I) and evaluate it based on the reflection questions listed below.

1. Does the letter demonstrate the competencies listed in part one? 
2. Is the letter written in an appropriate manner for the publication's audience? 
3. Were publication instructions for a Letter to the Editor followed? 
4. Did your peer communicate their message in a way that could expose them to excessive risk? 
5. Is the letter grammatically correct, clear, concise, and professionally written? 
6. Did you provide clear feedback to your peer and include your feedback in the forum?

Step 5: Submit the letter to the publication for which you prepared it.

Step 6: In the forum II, “Submitted Letter” paste the name and contact information of the publication where your letter was submitted, along with a copy of the submitted version of your letter. If your letter is accepted and you would like, please contact info@nextgenu.org so that we can proudly post it on our blog for your peers and the world to see.