Abstract
Medical and philosophical thinking belong together, cannot be separated neither in scientific theory nor in practice, and only the symbiosis of both can face the challange to reflect the basic phenomenon of both of these desiciplines: human life itself. No patient expects to be treated exclusively on the basis of the latest scientific results, but also wants to be perceived by his doctor as an unique individual. It is the doctor’s specific task to embed the scientifically developed diagnoses therapeutically into each individual patient’s biography. Furthermore such a perspecitve increases patient safety and it enables a future of trust in the doctor-patient relationship. The „Philosophicum“ is a model project in Germany that brings together philosophers, physicians and students to do research and education in the broad and enriching intersection of medicine and philosophy. Based on many years of experience, we are convinced that a structured philosophical education can substantially improve medical studies and subsequently doctors‘ work. Medical anthropology and hermeneutics are necessary and also teachable. The preparation should start early in the medical education and should be strengthened by bedside training while interacting with the patient. This requires philosophically interested and trained doctors and students. Exactely for that reason we favor integrating a philosophicum into the medical eduacation and practice.
Highlights
Ever since the times of Hippocrates more than 2,500 years ago, western medical education and training has included instruction in philosophy and for many centuries that remained almost unchanged
In 1861, the curriculum of medical studies in Prussia/Germany was changed: The so called “Philosophicum” was replaced by the “Physicum”, which is the medical preliminary examination after the second year of medical school until today. This change represented a complete reorientation with a focus on the scientific side of medicine in Germany, similiar to what happened in many other countries at that time, including the American Journal of Internal Medicine 2019; 7(3): 72-76
Medical and philosophical thinking belong together, they cannot be separated from one another according to the underlying scientific theory, and only together form the unique significance of medicine in this respect: Until today, no patient expects to be treated exclusively on the basis of the latest scientific results but rather wants to be perceived by the physician as a unique human being and most of all not as a „client“, as Bernhard Lown explained, too [21]
Summary
Ever since the times of Hippocrates more than 2,500 years ago, western medical education and training has included instruction in philosophy and for many centuries that remained almost unchanged. More than two thousand years later, triggered by the increasing interest in the academic approach, scientific thinking became more and more important. In 1861, the curriculum of medical studies in Prussia/Germany was changed: The so called “Philosophicum” was replaced by the “Physicum”, which is the medical preliminary examination after the second year of medical school until today. This change represented a complete reorientation with a focus on the scientific side of medicine in Germany, similiar to what happened in many other countries at that time, including the American Journal of Internal Medicine 2019; 7(3): 72-76
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