On humility.
The new professionalism movement in medical education takes seriously the old medical virtues. Perhaps the most difficult virtue to understand and practice is humility, which seems out of place in a medical culture characterized by arrogance, assertiveness, and a sense of entitlement. Countercultural though it is, humility need not suggest weakness or lack of self-confidence. On the contrary, humility requires toughness and emotional resilience. Humility in medicine manifests itself as unflinching self-awareness; empathic openness to others; and a keen appreciation of, and gratitude for, the privilege of caring for sick persons. Justified pride in medicine's accomplishments should neither rule out nor diminish our humility as healers.
Coulehan
Jack
J
Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8335, USA. jcoulehan@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D004501:Education, Medical; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D010414:Pennsylvania; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D028722:Virtues