The impact of materialistic monism and suffering on medical students :a critique of the biomedical and biopsychosocial model of medical schools

Date
2007-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On entry to medical school, students are confronted with a worldview that can be typified as materialistic monism. The student progressively becomes a materialistic monist, not only because of the teaching, but also because medical schools fail to address the question of suffering. One would expect the biopsychosocial model to surmount the limitations of the biomedical model, but it in itself has to deal with both suffering and materialistic monism. Suffering cements the collapse into materialistic monism in the way the student practises medicine. What life strategies would transcend this materialistic monism? This thesis examines potential educational interventions that might help the student to analyse the philosophy of medical school and find ways of dealing with the question of suffering.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met toelating tot mediese skool word studente gekonfronteer met ’n wêreldsiening wat as materialistiese monisme beskryf kan word. Die student verander progressief in ’n materialistiese monis, nie slegs as gevolg van die onderrig nie, maar ook omdat mediese skole nie daarin slaag om die kwessie van lyding aan te spreek nie. ’n Mens sou verwag dat die biopsigies-sosiale model die beperkinge van die biomediese model sou oorkom, maar instede moet dit self beide lyding en materialistiese monisme aanspreek. Lyding moedig die verval in materialistiese monisme in die wyse waarop die student geneeskunde beoefen aan. Watter soort lewensstrategieë is nodig om hierdie materialistiese monisme te transendeer? Hierdie tesis ondersoek die opvoedkundige intervensies wat die student kan help om die mediese skool se filosofie te analiseer en wyses te vind om die kwessie van lyding te hanteer.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Monism, Materialism, Holism, Suffering, Medical ethics, Medical education -- South Africa, Medical students -- South Africa, Theses -- Applied ethics, Dissertations -- Applied ethics
Citation