Should they teach a course on compassionate care in med school?

Question

I feel some doctors can benefit from it. Some doctors are very impersonal with patients and treat them like a number. Doctors can be rude, arrogant, and condescending.

I think if a student fails the course they shouldn't be allowed to be a doctor. The course would include work experience dealing with patients and being graded by the patients.

Answer 1

Honestly, I don't think you can 'teach' compassion.  Most doctors choose their job so they could help people, but some choose it for the salary and respect.  

Finially, it is true doctors are desensitized.  Just visit a new Dr. fresh from medical school and another who has spent 20 years hearing complaints, stupid questions and sob stories from patients.

Answer 2

Even the most compassionate of us lose something when we are worked like dogs (and treated worse than dogs) for years and years, by our superiors, patients and everyone else we come into contact with.

I challenge you to work for 8 years being treated like that (although residencies are less demanding now, with the 80 hrs/week rule) and see how you feel then.

Medical training is brutal, and many of us lose a part of who we are/were in the process.

Answer 3

I agree Dr's should be taught empathy and compassion in school and at the hospital. Some are arrogant and short with patients. They - as all the professionals in clinical or hospital settings are under a time crunch.

There was talk of such classes...guess it never happened.  I don't know what classes Dr's are required to take at this time.

Answer 4

Impossible. These dr are overworked, but get paid well, they work 80+ hours a week and have 35+ patients at a time (that is medicine in America).

This is a self taught tool. I am a paramedic and deal with many Dr at many different hospitals. Most Dr get into a practice where they have to deal in numbers.

There is a new practice with some Dr practices where they charge a yearly fee and have only a limited number of patients, but no insurence. These dr are amazing with pt.

Dr learn compassion and bed side manor in their intership or

Answer 5

one university offered an "ethics" and a "business" course to med students

2 students took the "ethics" and 100+ the "business"

most US doctors are  "in it for the money" and "status"

but can be taught to fake sincere compassion but this means extra time with a "patient" = less money      duh

Answer 6

I am sure that they have courses they take for relationships between humans. I know that in nursing you take relationship type classes where you learn how to deal with different types of people.

Unfortunately, some doctors, who are in the field for so long, get desensitized to situations and things like that, and become almost like robots and you feel like they aren't genuinely concerned for you.

You also need to realise that sometimes there are some people who just aren't very friendly. I am sure for tests and classes like this, it probably isnt too hard to pass as long as you know the material and know what to say/do for certain situations, and then you can do what you want as a doctor. Well almost.

This day and age its hard to come across doctors so I don't think that the governement or anyone will be too picky with their personalities as long as what they're persenting themselve as isn't illegal or violating anyones personal space.