Beware the hidden curriculum - 0 views
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anonymous on 20 Sep 11"We are sometimes unconscious of the hidden curriculum, but even when conscious of it we are silent or reluctant to act. We need a frank dialogue with students, residents, and each other about the lived experience of a career in medicine as the struggle it often is; about the challenges of living up to our profession's stated ideals; about the dangers of technological expertise without caring human relationships; about conflicts of interest and the difficult professional challenges of dealing with unprofessional colleagues; and about behaviour that imperils patients. We need to add "Above all be not silent" (Primum non tacere)17 to "First do no harm" as tenets to live by, and we must emphasize to students that what they are like as physicians is just as important as what they know. Thus will we build resistance to the hidden curriculum and reclaim our authenticity as trusted generalists whose knowledge is attached to values we truly uphold, model, and reproduce. "