Towards more empathic medical students: a medical student hospitalization experience

Abstract

Commentators on the world of medicine who are not themselves medically qualified are frequently told that they do not really understand the issues. The claim is that from the perspective of a doctor in a clinical situation the issues are too complex for a layman to understand. The trouble with this approach is that doctors comprise only a small part of the medical world; the other, and much larger, part consists of patients. For the last 40 years or so patients have become more vocal in demanding changes in clinical practice. These looked-for changes are basically of 2 overlapping kinds: changes in the attitudes and manners of doctors (doctors in particular), and changes in the ethics of doctors. Medical educators have seen it as their job to try to produce new generations of doctors who are more aware of both these patient-led requirements. The authors address mainly the first of these challenges, while raising concerns about the second. How far is their article persuasive in suggesting methods which might bring about attitudinal change?