Humanism in medicine is the fundamental belief that each patient, doctor, nurse, family member, or other healthcare provider have equal worth, being equally in “the image of God.” As healthcare providers, it is our responsibility to ensure that our patients are served with high standards of equity, respect, dignity, compassion, and excellence.

Our role as providers is to amplify our patients’ voice, which requires patience and listening. For me, patient advocacy is an essential component of humanism in medicine.

Humanism in medicine is the constant reminder that everything we do centers on the needs of our patients. Whether in research, education, advocacy, or extracurricular activities; our guiding principal should always be the needs of the patients we serve.

We are taught medicine by compartmentalizing each system and making connections as we develop mastery. Humanism in medicine is getting back to the central idea that all these components make up a person whose life and existence is much more than the sum of their signs and symptoms at time of presentation.

Life exists in a spectrum between illness and wellness.  We use medicine to help a patient’s illness, but only humanism can support the wellness.