Establishing contact: experiential workshops as tools for medical students to explore the patient perspective

The asymmetry inherent in the care relationship can expose the patient to the phenomenon of reification, which induces patient alienation. Clinical procedures that require contact have a high alienating potential. Showing care and attention to the patient's reactions during contact procedures can improve the doctor-patient relationship. This requires the ability to identify the patient's feelings, known as cognitive empathy. Experiential training has proven to be effective in promoting perspective taking ability in healthcare professionals. This paper presents 6 pilot experiential workshops aimed at enabling medical students to explore patient perspective-taking. It also outlines the results of a preliminary evaluation of the impact of these workshops on students.