Teaching medicine as a human experience: A patient-doctor relationship course for faculty and first-year medical students

Article Abstract:

While a good doctor-patient relationship important in diagnosis and treatment, little agreement exists on how this should be approached in medical school. In 1985, Harvard Medical School introduced a curriculum known as the New Pathway. Included in this curriculum was a patient interviewing course that began in the first year of medical school. The course objective was to produce physicians who were more humanistic, committed to recognizing their patients' psychological and social needs, compassionate, and effective communicators. The course was conducted in small groups of six to eight students working in groups with three faculty members, who represented various medical specialties. Students learned to interview patients, then discussed the information received and the process by which the information was obtained. Other areas explored in the course included discussing health-promotion with patients (smoking cessation, alcohol problems, sexual history-taking), chronic illness, AIDS, death and dying. The students rated the course highly, and some data suggest that such courses promote humanistic qualities in physicians. Whether the lessons learned in this first year course are carried over to practice remains to be seen. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Curricula, Medical education

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"Let me see if I have this right...": words that help build empathy

Article Abstract:

Tips are presented to help doctors use more empathetic language when talking with patients. The most common complaint of patients is that their doctor doesn't listen to them.

Methods, Empathy

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