Research shows that medical students exhibit a decline in empathy after they begin interacting with patients which poses a threat to their ability to provide patient-centered care. Patient-centered care challenges doctors to be empathetic, respectful, and compassionate, even during difficult patient interactions or when they have moral objections to the patient’s health behaviors. Teaching about abortion provides a learning opportunity for students to practice empathy and compassion in the face of patient behavior which they may not support.
Slide Set from Video Lecture Presented by: Jody Steinauer, MD, MAS University of California, San Francisco Click to download Physicians’ Professional Responsibilities in Abortion Care (pdf)
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