Dr.Srinath Reddy intelligently and intellectually analyses what’s wrong with medical education in India in his editorial in THE HINDU – The missing ‘E’s of medical education. But, perhaps naively, he has ignored something important – the HUMAN element!
Most, if not all, doctors practicing medicine know that a battery of tests often serves no real benefit in terms of diagnosis of an ailment. But they do know that it translates into an economic advantage, direct or indirect, which is the reason why it keeps being done. Avarice, not ignorance, is the driving force.
Equally romantic is the idea of ‘teaching’ empathy to a medical student. It is not like trying to teach ‘obedience’ or ‘honesty’ (which are behaviours) to a school boy, but like trying to inculcate ‘love’ or ‘concern’ or ‘affection’ (which are emotions) in a grown-up.
One is born with them (or grows up in early childhood developing them) – or one doesn’t.
And when the seed of these emotions lie inside, it is almost impossible to deal with human suffering as a clinician without being deeply touched by the emotional roller-coaster that any doctor rides each day in professional life. (See “Doctors Die a Little Every Day“)
Medical practitioners who function as highly skilled automatons are a reality of any country, or form of medical education for this very reason.
Some refine their skill set, while dulling and walling off their feelings, as a protective barrier that permits efficiently carrying out their duties. Others refuse to get involved and deeply engaged with their patients, more as a reflection of their personality and nature, rather than their medical training.
I also take strong exception to the blanket statement that ethical role models are non-existent. I have personally been influenced by the high ethical standards of many of my own professors and teachers, like Dr.A.M.Selvaraj, Dr.V.G.Tapase and many more, and have tried, in my own practice, to be one for my students who choose to follow and model me.
While there are many good points in Dr.Srinath’s editorial, especially in the area of imparting epidemiological knowledge to Indian medical students, in the end what will make them better doctors has less to do with what they are formally taught in college, and more to do with what kind of people they essentially are.
Empathy is a noble human emotion. Avarice is an ignoble human emotion. And doctors have both. Because doctors are, after all, human.
