New MCATs

Image found here. 

Thanks to a tweet by Kelly, author of Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior, I learned this, found here:

"In an effort to create a cadre of future physicians with improved bedside manners, the Assn. of American Medical Colleges has announced changes to the Medical College Admission Test (MCATs) that would plumb applicants' knowledge of psychology, sociology and biology, as well as their ethical and scientific reasoning skills.
     "Being a good doctor isn't just about understanding science: it's about understanding people," said Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, president and chief executive of the Assn. of American Medical Colleges in a news conference Thursday."

I agree wholeheartedly. Even though I do consider myself very fortunate to have several doctors who are intuitive, caring individuals, we all have met those doctors that look at patients only by the name of their disease instead of the name of their person.

As important as it is to cultivate and educate a good bedside manner in physicians, I would think that these skills would also be key in educating nurses--who spend more hours at a patient's bedside than any other healthcare professionals. Perhaps the American Nurses Association could push to develop an admissions test for collegiate nursing programs that look for some of the same knowledge and personality strengths.

Every patient deserves to be treated by professionals that understand people.