Is Medicine A Calling, or a Job?

The Short Coat (Audio): An Inside Look at Getting Into and Getting Through Medical School · Jan 28, 2021 · 1h 5m

Which take on medicine is best for patients and provider mental health? Dave and the gang–including M1s AJ Chowdhury and Alex Belzer; M4 Holly Conger; and MD/PhD student Aline Sandouk–take a look at the prevalent idea that medicine is a “calling,” somewhat like religion is for many. That’s an imperfect analogy, but there are parallels. People talk, for instance, about the sacrifices, the altruism, the service, and the requirement that doctors be at all times upstanding and display exceptional integrity. This view has some obvious benefits for the profession, including that its practitioners…