How to Participate in Empathy Training
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November 2012Can physicians learn empathy? Some don’t think so. “When people hear the words ‘empathy training,’ their automatic reaction is that you can’t teach someone empathy. You either have it or you don’t,” said Dr. Gray, who is also residency director at MEEI.
But Dr. Gray has seen firsthand that physicians can become more empathetic with training. As co-director with Dr. Konowitz of MEEI’s Quality, Humanism, and Professionalism (QHP) program—quarterly educational sessions on topics like professionalism and teamwork for attending physicians, fellows and residents that are incorporated into Thursday morning rounds—she was one of the key players in bringing the empathy training program to her residents. “This program simply makes time for residents to reflect on the skill of connecting with patients and provides [physicians] with tools to handle difficult patients with grace and patience.”