Reclaiming the lost meanings of medicine

For some time, I have taught communication and relational skills to medical students and physicians-in-training in an internal medicine residency program in the United States. What became apparent to me early on was that the humanistic, relationship-centred attitudes and behaviours being fostered in the classroom were not always finding their way into the clinic or onto the hospital floors. Sadly enough, this observation is supported by studies on patient–physician communication.1,2 In discussing this phenomenon with my students and colleagues, a common response emerged. They believe the relational behaviours taught in the classroom are not wholly credible in the “real world” of medical practice. Empathic attitudes and behaviours make little sense in terms of survival in residency training or success in practice. It seems as if these compassionate behaviours are being extinguished by a lack of incentive or reward in the system. Valued and rewarded instead are academic acumen, technical knowledge and skill, business savvy, and financial success.