Can we build a better doctor?
No one questions whether empathy is important for medicine, but there is a debate as to whether empathy (or lack thereof) is innate or something we learn along the road of life. It’s clearly some combination of both, but it is intriguing to consider the relative contributions. Researchers in Italy did a fascinating experiment on empathy, using a video showing someone’s hand getting pricked with a needle.
The researchers formulated that they could document a biological empathic response by noting a change in neural activity in the area of the observer’s brain that correlated to the spot on the hand in the video that was being pricked. If the hand in the video was rubbed with cotton tip, there is no change in neural activity of the observer; it occurred only with pain. This could constitute a neurologic equivalent of standing in another person’s shoes.
The result:- on initial written test, all subjects scored high on empathy scales and showed no obvious bias of any sort. But when watching the videos, white subjects had a neurological reaction only when they saw white hands being stuck with a needle, and black subjects reacted only to black hands. Even though the subjects viewed themselves as empathic and nonracist on the written test, somehow their brains or instincts betrayed them.
But then the researchers included a video of a hand that was dyed violet. When the violet hand was punctured with a needle, both blacks and whites reacted!
So does this mean humans have an ability, possibly innate, to empathize with people who appear different? And that along the line, we may unconsciously learn not to empathize with certain types of “other”?
By Daniel Ofri
Compiled by: Dr. Tigistu Adamu, CMO, Public Health Physician
@HakimEthio
No one questions whether empathy is important for medicine, but there is a debate as to whether empathy (or lack thereof) is innate or something we learn along the road of life. It’s clearly some combination of both, but it is intriguing to consider the relative contributions. Researchers in Italy did a fascinating experiment on empathy, using a video showing someone’s hand getting pricked with a needle.
The researchers formulated that they could document a biological empathic response by noting a change in neural activity in the area of the observer’s brain that correlated to the spot on the hand in the video that was being pricked. If the hand in the video was rubbed with cotton tip, there is no change in neural activity of the observer; it occurred only with pain. This could constitute a neurologic equivalent of standing in another person’s shoes.
The result:- on initial written test, all subjects scored high on empathy scales and showed no obvious bias of any sort. But when watching the videos, white subjects had a neurological reaction only when they saw white hands being stuck with a needle, and black subjects reacted only to black hands. Even though the subjects viewed themselves as empathic and nonracist on the written test, somehow their brains or instincts betrayed them.
But then the researchers included a video of a hand that was dyed violet. When the violet hand was punctured with a needle, both blacks and whites reacted!
So does this mean humans have an ability, possibly innate, to empathize with people who appear different? And that along the line, we may unconsciously learn not to empathize with certain types of “other”?
By Daniel Ofri
Compiled by: Dr. Tigistu Adamu, CMO, Public Health Physician
@HakimEthio
Join us later on today!
Topic: "Introduction to Brain Surgery"
Saturday, July 3rd 7:00 PM Addis Ababa Time (GMT+3)
Join Zoom Meeting Using This Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7869631678?pwd=ZWVuaG5qS1dLNUo5LzN4UUpSREsvdz09
Meeting ID: 786 963 1678
Passcode: 5678
@HakimEthio
Topic: "Introduction to Brain Surgery"
Saturday, July 3rd 7:00 PM Addis Ababa Time (GMT+3)
Join Zoom Meeting Using This Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7869631678?pwd=ZWVuaG5qS1dLNUo5LzN4UUpSREsvdz09
Meeting ID: 786 963 1678
Passcode: 5678
@HakimEthio
Can we build a better Doctor?
[Part II]
Whether empathy is innate or learned, there is a consistent observation that medical students seem to lose prodigious amounts of empathy as they progress along the medical training route! Something in the training system serves to stamp out whatever empathy students bring with them on day one.
The research appears to conclude that it is the C-1 (clinical year 1) of the traditional medical curriculum that does the most damage. For most students C-1 is eagerly awaited. After 2/3 years sitting in a classroom, you get to actually do what it is that doctors actually do- be in hospital and take care of patients. One would think that these first steps into real patient care would bring forth all the idealism that drove students to medical school in the first place- idealism that is sorely tested in the premed and preclinical years of memorizing reams of arcane facts.
Why do medical students lose Empathy during the clinical years of medical school? Some are related to the disorientation and fatigue experienced by students as they are thrown into the fire of hospital life- so different from the orderly, clean, controlled classroom life they come from. Students world is cemented along predetermined schedules, explicit curricula, definitive tests. Even if the knowledge requirements are overwhelming- students at least know what to expect, down to nearly every hour of their waking life.
When student enter the wards, however, the tables are not just turned, they are upended entirely. Temperamentally the world of hospital is a different planet from the lecture hall. To the beginner it is a sheer anarchy. Some of this is the nature of medicine: human beings and their illness do not trouble themselves with schedule, flow charts, or textbooks.
(Do you relate to this?)
To be continued …
Dr. Tigistu Adamu, CMO, Public Health Physician
@HakimEthio
[Part II]
Whether empathy is innate or learned, there is a consistent observation that medical students seem to lose prodigious amounts of empathy as they progress along the medical training route! Something in the training system serves to stamp out whatever empathy students bring with them on day one.
The research appears to conclude that it is the C-1 (clinical year 1) of the traditional medical curriculum that does the most damage. For most students C-1 is eagerly awaited. After 2/3 years sitting in a classroom, you get to actually do what it is that doctors actually do- be in hospital and take care of patients. One would think that these first steps into real patient care would bring forth all the idealism that drove students to medical school in the first place- idealism that is sorely tested in the premed and preclinical years of memorizing reams of arcane facts.
Why do medical students lose Empathy during the clinical years of medical school? Some are related to the disorientation and fatigue experienced by students as they are thrown into the fire of hospital life- so different from the orderly, clean, controlled classroom life they come from. Students world is cemented along predetermined schedules, explicit curricula, definitive tests. Even if the knowledge requirements are overwhelming- students at least know what to expect, down to nearly every hour of their waking life.
When student enter the wards, however, the tables are not just turned, they are upended entirely. Temperamentally the world of hospital is a different planet from the lecture hall. To the beginner it is a sheer anarchy. Some of this is the nature of medicine: human beings and their illness do not trouble themselves with schedule, flow charts, or textbooks.
(Do you relate to this?)
To be continued …
Dr. Tigistu Adamu, CMO, Public Health Physician
@HakimEthio
Message of condolences
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We are saddened to learn of the sudden death of Dr. Chala Edossa, a fourth year surgical resident from Arsi University. Our sincerest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. May his soul rest in peace.
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Source: Oromia Physicians Association
@HakimEthio
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We are saddened to learn of the sudden death of Dr. Chala Edossa, a fourth year surgical resident from Arsi University. Our sincerest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. May his soul rest in peace.
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Source: Oromia Physicians Association
@HakimEthio
Todays ECHO clinic
- Didactic lecture by Dr. Tinsay Woreta
- Case presentation by Dr Stephen McHenry, JUTH, Jos Nigeria and Dr Dagmawit from SPHMMC
- Q&A
https://echo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vd-6sqDgqE93zDlc9TkTbASlHWxW4Ss-z
@HakimEthio
- Didactic lecture by Dr. Tinsay Woreta
- Case presentation by Dr Stephen McHenry, JUTH, Jos Nigeria and Dr Dagmawit from SPHMMC
- Q&A
https://echo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vd-6sqDgqE93zDlc9TkTbASlHWxW4Ss-z
@HakimEthio
13 ተመራቂ ነርሶች ዲፕሎማቸውን ከቀዳማዊ ኃይለ ሥላሴ እየተቀበሉ - 1951 ዓ.ም
13 graduating nurses receiving their diplomas from Emperor Haile Selassie back in January 1959 G.C
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Source: Historic Ethiopia Through The Camera Lens: 1860s - 1990s
@HakimEthio
13 graduating nurses receiving their diplomas from Emperor Haile Selassie back in January 1959 G.C
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Source: Historic Ethiopia Through The Camera Lens: 1860s - 1990s
@HakimEthio
"እንደገና የልጆቼ እናት እንድሆን ለረዱኝ ሐኪሞች ምሥጋና ለማቅረብ የሚበቁ ቃላት የሉኝም"
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ጊዜው ከሁለት ዓመት በፊት ነው ፤ ቦታው በቅዱስ ጳውሎስ ሆስፒታል የቀዶ ሕክምና ክፍል ፤ ተጨንቄያለሁ ፣ ነጭ ጋዎን የለበሱ ዘለግ ያለ ቁመና ያላቸው ሀኪም ስሜን ጠሩና ሠላምታ ሰጡኝ ፣ ትህትናና ፈገግታቸው ጭንቀቴን ቀለል አደረግልኝ ፤ እያወሩኝ ከቆዩ በኋላ "የሺመቤት አሁን ምላስሽን አሳይኝ ስልሽ እንደቅድሙ ታሳይኛለሽ" አሉኝ እሺ አልኩና ትዕዛዛቸውን ለመፈፀም ተዘጋጀሁ።
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ወዲያውኑ "የሺመቤት... የሺመቤት" ስሜ ሲጠራ ምላሴን ለዶክተር ላሳይ .... ዓይኔን ገለጥኩ፣ ሕመም ተሰማኝ ቀዶ ሕክምናው ተጠናቋል። ለእኔ ቅፅበት በምትመስለኝ ባላወቅኳት ጊዜ እነ ዶክተር ጤናዬ እንዲመለስ ፣ እስትንፋሴ ቀጥሎ እንደገና የልጆቼ እናት እንድሆን ለከፈሉት ዋጋ ምስጋና ለማቅረብ የሚበቁ ቃላት የሉኝም።
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ከተሜና ገጠሬውን ፣ ሀብታምና ድሀውን ፣ ፅዱና አዳፋ ለባሹን ፣ ቁስሉን ፣ ደሙን ፣ ሌላም ሌላውን... ፊታቸው ቅጭም ሳይል ሳይጠየፉ ... ከማለዳ እስከ ሌሊት ሲታትሩ ፤ ወንበር ላይ ተኮራምተው ሲያድሩ ለተመለከትኳቿው ፤ እና ደግሞ ይህን የሚመጥን ክፍያ ፣ ዋጋ ፣ ክብር ላላገኙት ፣ ላልተዘመረላቸው የአገሬ ሐኪሞች በሁሉን አይነቱ ወገኔ ስም ከፍ ያለ አክብሮትና ምስጋናዬን ማቅረብ እሻለሁ።
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አሁንም ዓለምን እየፈተነ ያለው ኮቪድ-19 በአገራችን ከተከሰተ ጀምሮ ቤቴ ፣ ትዳሬ ፣ ልጆቼ ፣ እናቴ አባቴ ሳይሉ ለወገናቸው ሲሉ ሕይወታቸውን ጭምር እየከፈሉ ለሚገኙት የኢትዮጵያ ሐኪሞች "እጅግ ከፍ ያለ ምስጋናና ክብር ይገባችኋል!" አይዟችሁ ኢትዮጵያ ውለታችሁን አትረሳም ትከፍላችኋለች።
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- የሺእመቤት ደመቀ : የዜና ኤዲተር : ኢትዮጵያ ዜና አገልግሎት
Source: St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College-SPHMMC
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ጊዜው ከሁለት ዓመት በፊት ነው ፤ ቦታው በቅዱስ ጳውሎስ ሆስፒታል የቀዶ ሕክምና ክፍል ፤ ተጨንቄያለሁ ፣ ነጭ ጋዎን የለበሱ ዘለግ ያለ ቁመና ያላቸው ሀኪም ስሜን ጠሩና ሠላምታ ሰጡኝ ፣ ትህትናና ፈገግታቸው ጭንቀቴን ቀለል አደረግልኝ ፤ እያወሩኝ ከቆዩ በኋላ "የሺመቤት አሁን ምላስሽን አሳይኝ ስልሽ እንደቅድሙ ታሳይኛለሽ" አሉኝ እሺ አልኩና ትዕዛዛቸውን ለመፈፀም ተዘጋጀሁ።
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ወዲያውኑ "የሺመቤት... የሺመቤት" ስሜ ሲጠራ ምላሴን ለዶክተር ላሳይ .... ዓይኔን ገለጥኩ፣ ሕመም ተሰማኝ ቀዶ ሕክምናው ተጠናቋል። ለእኔ ቅፅበት በምትመስለኝ ባላወቅኳት ጊዜ እነ ዶክተር ጤናዬ እንዲመለስ ፣ እስትንፋሴ ቀጥሎ እንደገና የልጆቼ እናት እንድሆን ለከፈሉት ዋጋ ምስጋና ለማቅረብ የሚበቁ ቃላት የሉኝም።
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ከተሜና ገጠሬውን ፣ ሀብታምና ድሀውን ፣ ፅዱና አዳፋ ለባሹን ፣ ቁስሉን ፣ ደሙን ፣ ሌላም ሌላውን... ፊታቸው ቅጭም ሳይል ሳይጠየፉ ... ከማለዳ እስከ ሌሊት ሲታትሩ ፤ ወንበር ላይ ተኮራምተው ሲያድሩ ለተመለከትኳቿው ፤ እና ደግሞ ይህን የሚመጥን ክፍያ ፣ ዋጋ ፣ ክብር ላላገኙት ፣ ላልተዘመረላቸው የአገሬ ሐኪሞች በሁሉን አይነቱ ወገኔ ስም ከፍ ያለ አክብሮትና ምስጋናዬን ማቅረብ እሻለሁ።
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አሁንም ዓለምን እየፈተነ ያለው ኮቪድ-19 በአገራችን ከተከሰተ ጀምሮ ቤቴ ፣ ትዳሬ ፣ ልጆቼ ፣ እናቴ አባቴ ሳይሉ ለወገናቸው ሲሉ ሕይወታቸውን ጭምር እየከፈሉ ለሚገኙት የኢትዮጵያ ሐኪሞች "እጅግ ከፍ ያለ ምስጋናና ክብር ይገባችኋል!" አይዟችሁ ኢትዮጵያ ውለታችሁን አትረሳም ትከፍላችኋለች።
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- የሺእመቤት ደመቀ : የዜና ኤዲተር : ኢትዮጵያ ዜና አገልግሎት
Source: St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College-SPHMMC