The Top 7 Ideal Physician Behaviors

I came across an interesting article the other day, published in the journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings.  The authors of the study were physicians and researchers at the Mayo Clinic who surveyed a group of patients over the course of 2 years who had presented for care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and Scottsdale, Arizona.  The study was small (there were only 192 patients surveyed), but the results were quite interesting and important.  The survey focused on the personality traits and characteristics that made a "good doctor."  The patients most commonly reported that they wanted their physician (in no particular order) to be confident, empathetic, humane, personal, forthright, respectful, and thorough.    These were the seven ideal physician behaviors, at least from the patient's perspective!  I think it is rather interesting that technical knowledge and intelligence were not listed in the "top 7."  For example, admission to medical school, residency, and subspecialty fellowship training are frequently based largely on academic standing, performance on standardized tests (MCAT, USMLE, board certification test scores, etc), and face-to-face interviews.  While some would argue that medical schools and residency programs do, in fact, screen for these behaviors during the interview process, at least in my opinion, it is very difficult to gauge how an individual will react to the everyday stressors in the clinical setting.  I do think the medical profession needs to do a better job emphasizing both the so-called art and science of medicine.  To this end, there has been a growing number (based on my own anecdotal experience) of medical humanities programs offered at both colleges and medical schools. 


Incidentally, the same study also reported the top 7 most undesirable physician behaviors, again from the patient's perspective.  These were essentially the mirror image opposite of the ideal physician behavior.  Patients reported that they did not like it when their physician was timid, uncaring, misleading, cold, callous, disrespectful, or hurried.