Training doctors!

[Guest guest]

The Times highlighted research done in Chicago University. Brain

scans of medics compared to non-medics showed that they were able to

shut down the empathy part of their brain that helps them to

appreciate the pain and fear their patients experience while being

treated. The study is in Current Biology. They conclude it's sensible

as it allows them to be objective and prevents burn out - but I think

the best doctors I've had actually leave that bit of their brain on.

In 'Don't Shoot the Dog, the new art of teaching and training' by

Pryor. She outlines how traditional methods of training create

superstistions and that people will refuse to learn new methods

because 'that's the way it's always been done' and they can't

seperate what actually works from habits. She particularly points out

awful things that are done to patients. She goes on:

" Interestingly enough, superstitious behavior does not always go away

if you merely point out its ineffectiveness, strongly conditioned, it

may accordingly be strongly defended. Attack a doctor for his or her

habuitual use of a a nonhelpful or even harmful treatment, and you

will be attacked right back - in spades "

I was quite happy with this info - having been told that by a

psychiatrist that I was being a control freak, power crazy and

refusing to let anyone look after me when I was trying to get an

endocrinologist referral when thyroxine was making me feel more ill

than the hypothyroidism on it's own.

If the book has any helpful answers I will pass them on, one problem

is that it focuses on rewards for the 'right' behaviour so your

subject has to do good things. I will take a clicker and chocolate

drops to all future appointments just in case!

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