Reading or studying medicine?

Education

• What remains when what has been learned has been forgotten

Medical Humanities

• Literature

• Philosophy

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Media studies

• Arts

Literature and culture not enough on their own

• Poet

• Psychiatrist

• War criminal

Why?

• Personal development

• Understand the narrative of illness

• Avoid solipsism

• Help deal with uncertainty

• Help forge links with other disciplines

• NOT an excuse to slack off on technical abilities

Heart of darkness

• Not the kernel…but that which surrounds the kernel

• “It’s got to come out, of course, but that doesn’t address the deeper problem”

I have a good doctor

• Enthusiasm and good communication

• Better technical skills

“The ringing in your ears - I think I can help”

Roles

Dealing with uncertainty

• Patients

• Role

• Ethics

“Of course my cough is productive!”

Illness as metaphor

• Illness is the night-side of life, a more onerous citizenship…everyone holds dual citizenship

• Impossible to take up residence unprejudiced by the lurid metaphors with which it has been landscaped

How others view us

• Patients

• Writers

GB Shaw

..a profession is a group of people who band together to hide their own shortcomings..

Medical Humanities

• Literature

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Media studies

• Arts

Education

• What remains when what has been learned has been forgotten

• Primum non nocere

• Primum non tacere

Ethics/Professionalism

Dr D S O’Briain

6 competenciesfor residency programs

ACGME 1999

• Patient care

• Medical knowledge

• Practice based learning and improvement

• Interpersonal and communication skills

• Professionalism

• System based practice – (larger context, cost, advocacy)

Professionalism

• Conduct, aims or qualities that mark a profession or professional person (Webster)

• Commitment to carry out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principals, sensitivity to diverse patient population (culture, age, gender, disability) respectful, altruistic, compassion, integrity, adherence to guidelines, identify deficiency in peer performance ACGME

• Unprofessional: Unmet responsibility, lack of effort to self improvement and adaptability, diminished relationship with patients, relatives, colleagues