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Des Spence is, as per usual, right on the money. People who care should be recruited to the caring professions and people who don't, should not. Regardless of famous medical parents, A-level results, music grade or cushy summer shadowing job, as these often (but not always) suggest academic ability and social elitism, not aptitude.
If you can't find it within yourself to feed, bath or toilet someone who can no longer perform such functions for themselves, then you have nothing to add to the caring professions, no matter which role you seek.
The science of medicine can be taught and is knowledge, the art of which cannot and is caring. All aspiring doctors should work as a health care assistant for a minimum of 2 weeks before being eligible to apply to medical school. This will undoubtedly serve as an acid test, deterring the unsuitable, galvanising the gifted, and may help to reduce drop-out from medical school and beyond.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
10 October 2012
David R Warriner
Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary SpR
Medical Physics Group, Department of Cardiovascular Science, University of Sheffield
Des Spence has reminded us of very serious issue affecting many areas of contemporary health care. Anyone wishing to gain a deeper insight into the source of these problems of lack of caring, and possible solutions, can do no better than read 'Intelligent Kindness' , by John Ballatt and Penelope Campling, which was considered to be essential reading by Iona Heath in her review in the BMJ last year. She is absolutely right.
Re: What happened to caring?
Des Spence is, as per usual, right on the money. People who care should be recruited to the caring professions and people who don't, should not. Regardless of famous medical parents, A-level results, music grade or cushy summer shadowing job, as these often (but not always) suggest academic ability and social elitism, not aptitude.
If you can't find it within yourself to feed, bath or toilet someone who can no longer perform such functions for themselves, then you have nothing to add to the caring professions, no matter which role you seek.
The science of medicine can be taught and is knowledge, the art of which cannot and is caring. All aspiring doctors should work as a health care assistant for a minimum of 2 weeks before being eligible to apply to medical school. This will undoubtedly serve as an acid test, deterring the unsuitable, galvanising the gifted, and may help to reduce drop-out from medical school and beyond.
Competing interests: No competing interests