Empathy heals: Learn to walk a mile in their shoes…

Every year thousands of health care education studentsaround the globe embark on the journey to becomehealth professionals with idealism and enthusiasmfor curing disease and disability and improving theirpatients’ quality of life. Despite the intention of thefaculty to nurture these qualities, it is ironic that somestudies have reported a decline in humanitarianism,enthusiasm and idealism among students1. In recenttimes this predominant assumption has led to a beliefthat empathy must be taught to health professioneducation students. Yet it is not clear precisely whatempathy is, from a philosophical or sociological point ofview, or whether it can be taught.