title: Are doctors who have been ill more compassionate? Attitudes of resident physicians regarding personal health issues and the expression of compassion in clinical care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Compassion is an attribute central to professionalism and modern clinical care, yet little is known about how compassion is acquired and preserved in medical training. We sought to understand whether personal illness experiences are thought by residents to foster compassion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors surveyed 155 (71% response rate) second- and third-year residents at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine regarding their views of the relationship of personal life experience with illness to compassion and empathy for patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Residents believe that experience with personal health issues enhances physician compassion for patients. Residents who report more personal health concerns, such as physical or mental health problems and family health problems, endorse the connection between direct experience with illness and empathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health care trainees' own illness experiences may increase compassionate patient care practices and foster empathy.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Laura Weiss
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Teddy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moutier
authors.forename: Cynthia M A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Geppert
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Green Hammond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires