Violence against Doctors: The Class Wars

Medical practice is currently at crossroads due to several ills that have crept into the profession. The malaise may have its genesis traced down right from the time of entrance into medical school due at least in part to inadequacy and lack of contemporariness in current medical curricula. There could be several limitations of the medical course at present. The first problem is that rapid technological advances in the practice of medicine have led to an exponential increase in the amount of information and skills that needs to be acquired by the student. Broadly it is a question of dropping vestigial knowledge and re-prioritization of education according to the requirement of the day. The second problem is the alienation of the prospective physician from the society. However, perhaps the most alarming problem is lack of inculcation of empathy, rather a steady decline in its level over the course of medical school. We discuss how these issues can be appropriately addressed in a new curriculum.