Humane Physicians

Abstract

Since the object of medicine is the whole person, this article agrees with those who advocate refocusing training for future physicians based on the perspective of the humanities, so as to redeem medicine as a scientific-humanistic discipline. It proposes an understanding of the humanities in medicine founded on three aspects: ethics, communication skill and humanity, with the latter conceived as "sensitivity and compassion for the misfortunes of our fellow human beings."

The proposal is to include humanistic behavior consistent with the high standards to which the American Board of Internal Medicine subscribed in 1983, and to impart ethical training with a personalist approach, recognizing in the individual an objective ontological status. The program covers every year of undergraduate studies and proposes content, teaching methodology and evaluation focused on attitude.