Humanism in medical practice: what, why and how?

Medical Humanism in Neurosurgery

“…Medicine has been regarded as a moral profession and carried out in accordance with a set of morals and ethics [3]. The first conference concerned with humanism, was held at Chicago University in 1933, recommended considering humanistic science as the basis of morality and decision-making in medical practice.…”

“…He is telling you the diagnosis¨. Sir Osler also stated that (it is much more important to know what sort of person has a disease, than to know what sort of disease a person has) [3]. Marañón's words provide us with the following reflection "… a mere diagnostic system, deduced exclusively from analytical data, dehumanized, independent of direct and endearing observation of the patient, carries the fundamental error of forgetting the personality, which is so important in etiologies and to stipulate the prognosis of the patient and teach us, doctors, what we can do to alleviate his sufferings" [4].…”

Can an “Anatomy Law and Ethics” course decrease medical students' fear of the body being destroyed during dissection once donated?

“…These memorials also assist medical students foster humanistic values throughout their practice. As outlined by Hulail (2018), having physicians who are empathetic benefits both physicians and patients as well. Lastly, these memorials function as an effective way to encourage body donation across the scientific and lay audiences and might be the solution to overcoming the shortage of cadavers which served as the primary educational resource for some medical schools as reported in the literature (Lin et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2014;Douglas-Jones, 2017).…”

“…Returning to the concept of an "Anatomy Law and Ethics" course, it is possible that such course may be helpful in allowing anatomy instructors establish a constructive mentor-mentee relationship with their medical students whereby medical students could be guided throughout the course on how to humanely treat and honor cadavers. Eventually, this may contribute to the formation of future medical practitioners who will be characterized by their humanistic values and strong work ethic ultimately keeping alive the humanistic spirit of medicine which lately seems to have been characterized to have been abolished by Hulail (2018).…”

Patient-centered orthodontics through student-centered teaching

“…The orthodontist should not only be an expert in the use of diverse treatment modalities and the latest technology, but he or she must also manifest honesty, empathy, compassion, altruism, and respect to the dignity and beliefs of the patients and their families. 3 Carl Rogers, who is considered the father of humanistic psychology, held that for a person to achieve self-actualization, they need an environment that provides them with genuineness, acceptance, and empathy. 4 These are the key traits of the most effective teachers.…”