This paper describes the roots, organization and originality in scientific concepts of the Romani... more This paper describes the roots, organization and originality in scientific concepts of the Romanian gerontology and geriatrics, which have all contributed worldwide to the establishment of the field of gerontology and geriatrics as distinct entities among other medical specialties. The paper also highlights key Romanian scientists whose ideas and solid research laid the foundation for the first Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Bucharest, Romania, the first of its kind in the world.
This article presents the case of a Romanian Orthodox Christian patient in the United States suff... more This article presents the case of a Romanian Orthodox Christian patient in the United States suffering from bipolar disorder. The patient had no family in the United States, and a community of parishioners from the Romanian Orthodox Church, including one of the authors, Mariana Cuceu (MC), cared for him after he was discharged from a psychiatric ward. The case serves as a starting point for exploring the duty of physicians not only to avoid harm but to do good, the importance of coordinating care for such patients and attending to their religious and spiritual needs, as well as the role of the community of Orthodox Christian faithful in responding to the command that we love one another.
Supplemental digital content is available in the text. This study reports the findings of a natio... more Supplemental digital content is available in the text. This study reports the findings of a national survey of 1289 US physicians from various specialties to determine whether physician spirituality, religion, and sense of calling toward medicine are associated with self-reported empathic compassion. The study found that spirituality (not religiousness) and the identification of medicine as a calling was associated with physicians’ empathic compassion. Objective To determine whether physician spirituality, religion, and sense of calling toward medicine are predictors of self-reported empathic compassion. Methods We sampled 2000 practicing US physicians from all specialties and used self-reported measures of general and clinical empathic compassion taken from previous studies. Independent variables were single-item measures of calling, spirituality, and religiosity (importance of religion). Results The survey response rate was 64.5% (1289/2000). Physicians with a strong sense of calling were more likely to report higher general empathic compassion (odds ratio [OR] 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26–3.15) and higher clinical empathic compassion (OR 3.33, 95% CI 2.07–5.36). Similarly, physicians who considered themselves spiritual were more likely to report higher general empathic compassion (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.69–4.50) and higher clinical empathic compassion (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.38–3.90). We did not find an association between religiosity and measures of physicians’ empathic compassion. Conclusions This national study of practicing US physicians from various specialties found that spirituality (not religiousness) and the identification of medicine as a calling are associated with physicians’ empathic compassion. Further study is needed to understand how spirituality and calling are linked to prosocial behaviors among physicians that may be enhancing their clinical empathy and promoting compassionate patient care.
The education and growth of researchers should aim not only to teach concepts but also to form ch... more The education and growth of researchers should aim not only to teach concepts but also to form character. The process of initiation into a field requires the practice of virtues explicated in the article below. This article proposes that scientists develop their character along two planes: a vertical plane that is concerned with internal moral formation of the virtues of the scientist and a horizontal plane that is concerned with societal influence and the role that medical research plays in serving humanity. We also argue that scientists that view their formation and research practices coexisting with a belief in God and faith may enlighten and embolden their research experiences and endeavors.
This paper describes the roots, organization and originality in scientific concepts of the Romani... more This paper describes the roots, organization and originality in scientific concepts of the Romanian gerontology and geriatrics, which have all contributed worldwide to the establishment of the field of gerontology and geriatrics as distinct entities among other medical specialties. The paper also highlights key Romanian scientists whose ideas and solid research laid the foundation for the first Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Bucharest, Romania, the first of its kind in the world.
This article presents the case of a Romanian Orthodox Christian patient in the United States suff... more This article presents the case of a Romanian Orthodox Christian patient in the United States suffering from bipolar disorder. The patient had no family in the United States, and a community of parishioners from the Romanian Orthodox Church, including one of the authors, Mariana Cuceu (MC), cared for him after he was discharged from a psychiatric ward. The case serves as a starting point for exploring the duty of physicians not only to avoid harm but to do good, the importance of coordinating care for such patients and attending to their religious and spiritual needs, as well as the role of the community of Orthodox Christian faithful in responding to the command that we love one another.
Supplemental digital content is available in the text. This study reports the findings of a natio... more Supplemental digital content is available in the text. This study reports the findings of a national survey of 1289 US physicians from various specialties to determine whether physician spirituality, religion, and sense of calling toward medicine are associated with self-reported empathic compassion. The study found that spirituality (not religiousness) and the identification of medicine as a calling was associated with physicians’ empathic compassion. Objective To determine whether physician spirituality, religion, and sense of calling toward medicine are predictors of self-reported empathic compassion. Methods We sampled 2000 practicing US physicians from all specialties and used self-reported measures of general and clinical empathic compassion taken from previous studies. Independent variables were single-item measures of calling, spirituality, and religiosity (importance of religion). Results The survey response rate was 64.5% (1289/2000). Physicians with a strong sense of calling were more likely to report higher general empathic compassion (odds ratio [OR] 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26–3.15) and higher clinical empathic compassion (OR 3.33, 95% CI 2.07–5.36). Similarly, physicians who considered themselves spiritual were more likely to report higher general empathic compassion (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.69–4.50) and higher clinical empathic compassion (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.38–3.90). We did not find an association between religiosity and measures of physicians’ empathic compassion. Conclusions This national study of practicing US physicians from various specialties found that spirituality (not religiousness) and the identification of medicine as a calling are associated with physicians’ empathic compassion. Further study is needed to understand how spirituality and calling are linked to prosocial behaviors among physicians that may be enhancing their clinical empathy and promoting compassionate patient care.
The education and growth of researchers should aim not only to teach concepts but also to form ch... more The education and growth of researchers should aim not only to teach concepts but also to form character. The process of initiation into a field requires the practice of virtues explicated in the article below. This article proposes that scientists develop their character along two planes: a vertical plane that is concerned with internal moral formation of the virtues of the scientist and a horizontal plane that is concerned with societal influence and the role that medical research plays in serving humanity. We also argue that scientists that view their formation and research practices coexisting with a belief in God and faith may enlighten and embolden their research experiences and endeavors.
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