“But I realized that not only did I need to keep tuning my skills as a doctor, I also had to figure out a way to live with the uncertainty of medicine and its attendant anxiety.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
When a patient tells a doctor that every symptom is the most horrible ever - and the physical exam and labs are normal - we often suspect something psychological is going on. The symptoms aren't fake. They're physical manifestations of… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“In general, empathy is easier the more we can identify with someone. When we can genuinely envision ourselves in a situation, it's possible to… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“How the sadness is handled by the physician has a powerful impact on the medical care received by the patients. If the grief is… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Burnout also leads to a large swath of physicians who aren't as empathetic toward their patients as they could be.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Grief ate at these doctors, distracting them from both their families and their patients. Many reported withdrawing from emotional involvement with their patients and… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Empathy requires being attuned to the patient's perspective and understanding how the illness is woven into this particular persons' life. Last--and this is where… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Hospital life--with its byzantine array of moving parts layered atop the unpredictable rhythms of illness--is a permanent state of flux.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Fear is a primal emotion in medicine. Every doctor can tell you of times when she or he was terrified; most can list more… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“But I realized that not only did I need to keep tuning my skills as a doctor, I also had to figure out a… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
Being a doctor, I worry that the patient may be uncomfortable about sharing something. It could be sexual dysfunction, an eating disorder, depression, domestic… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Empathy--the ability to identify with someone else's suffering--is certainly a prerequisite for a genuine apology.” — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio describes emotions as the "continuous musical line of our minds, the unstoppable humming." This basso continuo thrums along while doctors make… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
“Thus, whatever the medical student has been taught, and even genuinely believes, about the ideals of medicine, the primacy of empathy, the value of… — Danielle Ofri Copy Share Image
![“Fear is a primal emotion in medicine. Every doctor can tell you of times when she or he was terrified; most can list more episodes than you might wish to hear. [...] It may be sublimated at times, it may wax and wane, but the fear of harming your patients never departs; it is inextricably linked…” quote by Danielle Ofri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/541/danielle-ofri-26196_empathy_fear-is-a-primal-emotion-in-medicine-eve_1331595.jpg)
![“Thus, whatever the medical student has been taught, and even genuinely believes, about the ideals of medicine, the primacy of empathy, the value of the doctor-patient relationship--all of this is swamped once he or she steps into the wards. [...] It's no wonder that empathy gets trounced in the…” quote by Danielle Ofri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/549/danielle-ofri-26196_empathy_thus-whatever-the-medical-student-has-be_1851607.jpg)