Perspectives

Nurturing Competence and Compassion in Future Physicians

Authors: Dawn Harris Sherling, MD, Charles Hennekens, MD, DrPH

Abstract

The stories at the low-income clinic that day were even more gut-wrenching, the usual shocking pathology was perhaps more obscure. Yet, the premedical school student who was translating for the non–Spanish-speaking clinicians seemed unmoved and disinterested. Although he did his job efficiently, he had no questions for the attending physician. Late in the session, the student complained about the overuse of resources after an ambulance arrived for a barely ambulatory, cognitively challenged, older adult patient whose medical history was consistent with amaurosis fugax.

This content is limited to qualifying members.

Existing members, please login first

If you have an existing account please login now to access this article or view purchase options.

Purchase only this article ($25)

Create a free account, then purchase this article to download or access it online for 24 hours.

Purchase an SMJ online subscription ($75)

Create a free account, then purchase a subscription to get complete access to all articles for a full year.

Purchase a membership plan (fees vary)

Premium members can access all articles plus recieve many more benefits. View all membership plans and benefit packages.

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau News. Profile America: Facts for Features, Older Americans Month: May 2015. http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/facts-for-features/2015/cb15-ff09_older_american_month.pdf. Accessed January 27, 2017.
 
2. Stratton TD, Elam CL. A holistic review of the medical school admission process: examining correlates of academic underperformance. Med Educ Online 2014;19:22919.
 
3. Julian ER. Validity of the Medical College Admission Test for predicting medical school performance. Acad Med 2005;80:910-917.
 
4. Silver B, Hodgson CS. Evaluating GPAs and MCAT scores as predictors of NMBE I and clerkship performances based on students’ data from one undergraduate institution. Acad Med 1997;72:394-396.
 
5. Cullen MW, Reed DA, Halvorsen AJ, et al. Selection criteria for internal medicine residency applicants and professionalism ratings during internship. Mayo Clin Proc 2011;86:197-202.
 
6. Reed DA, West CP, Mueller PS, et al. Behaviors of highly professional resident physicians. JAMA 2008;300:1326-1333.
 
7. Rakel D, Barrett B, Zhang Z, et al. Perception of empathy in the therapeutic encounter: effects on the common cold. Patient Educ Couns 2011;85:390-397.
 
8. Hojat M, Louis DZ, Markham FW, et al. Physicians’ empathy and clinical outcomes for diabetic patients. Acad Med 2011;86:359-364.
 
9. Holistic Review 2015. Admissions Workshop.--Highlights. https://www.aamc.org/admissions/highlights/423332/holisticreview2015admissionsworkshop.html. Accessed January 6, 2016.
 
10. Taking the MCAT Exam. https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/. Accessed January 6, 2016.
 
11. Hojat M. Assessments of empathy in medical school admissions: what additional evidence is needed? Int J Med Educ 2014;5:7-10.
 
12. Riess H, Kelley JM, Bailey RW, et al. Empathy training for resident physicians: a randomized controlled trial of a neuroscience-informed curriculum. J Gen Intern Med 2012;27:1280-1286.