July’s BJGP had articles on empathy, compassion, and kindness.1–3 In the same month I received an invitation to apply to join the interview panel for prospective medical students. The invitation says that these 17-year-olds are going to be assessed for their social awareness, caring ethos, and empathy. I wondered which of these unfortunates was going to be rejected for not feigning these attributes as convincingly as their competitors. And I wondered what sort of god-like creatures may exist among the pool of senior doctors who would be willing to dispense such judgements on the innocent. Perhaps none with any vestige of empathy, compassion, or kindness.
REFERENCES
- 1.Austen L. Increasing emotional support for healthcare workers can rebalance clinical detachment and empathy. Br J Gen Pract. 2016 doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X685957. http://bjgp.org/content/66/648/376. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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- 3.Mathers N. Compassion and the science of kindness: Harvard Davis Lecture 2015. Br J Gen Pract. 2016 doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X686041. http://bjgp.org/content/66/648/e525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]