Mr Thoma’s Reflections piece1 and the subsequent responses highlight issues that I think are worth exploring.
Medical students are faced with a difficult task. We tell them to be self-aware and to develop their abilities to use their relationships with patients as part of the therapeutic process. Then we castigate them for their attempts.
Young men and women are still sexual beings as well as medical students, yet where in the curriculum do they have the opportunity to ask about the “what ifs” of medical examinations and procedures? They have their own fears and embarrassments, as well as concerns about patients’ fears and embarrassments.
As senior colleagues, I think we ought to be thankful that someone had the courage to remind us that although we might have found ways to manage certain issues, our newer colleagues still struggle. For every one person who expresses a concern, there are many others who feel the same way but are afraid to seem foolish or ignorant by expressing themselves. If we want sensitive, insightful candidates for family medicine, we need to acknowledge their fears and concerns, rather than dismiss them.
It takes courage, insight, and ability to present one’s insecurities to national scrutiny. These are qualities that any program director should value and nurture.
- Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada
Reference
- 1.↵