| The Soul of Medicine Task Force
was initiated in 1999, in response to the disillusionment felt by
practicing clinicians and medical students to increasing pressures in the
healthcare environment – pressures which often do not place priority on
humanistic patient care.
The Soul of Medicine task force engages
clinicians and students in discussions about how to assure that the important
patient-physician relationship is not compromised in the contentious healthcare
debate. Care and compassion must not be sacrificed for protocol and cost-effectiveness.
A second focus of the Soul of Medicine
is to respond to medical students who have told us that
they would like to meet with physicians
who actually promote a caring, respectful relationship with patients and
their families and with their students. Too often, what students actually
experience from seasoned physicians in clinics or on rounds is not the
behavior that they wish to emulate as caregivers. |
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We believe that the future of the healing
arts rests with our trainees. They fear for the loss of their dreams and
seek guidance from clinicians who practice the values they wish to emulate.
PSR is committed to promoting this relationship with the great majority
of clinicians for whom service and compassion remain paramount.
For the 8th year, PSR will host the
Soul of Medicine brunch. The brunch is a opportunity for medical
students and faculty members to informally share their concerns about the
current health care environment. It is a time for rejuvenation and
confirmation about the study and practice of medicine. Last year, over
30 faculty from the 5 area medical schools and 150 students attended the
brunch.
In another Soul of Medicine Initiative,
the Philadelphia Inquirer and PSR convened a diverse group of stakeholders
- doctors, nurses, alternative medicine practitioners, patients, hospital
executives, hospice workers, employers, insurance executives - to attempt
a new, more productive conversation about what the ideal healthcare system
might look like and how to achieve that system.
Weigh in with your view at: http://www.ethepeople.org/a-national/article/10912/view |
