The following editorial, published in Scientific American, calls on physicians to revisit how to practice medicine, change culture in medicine, and find joy as in practice. The authors assert that learning the art of medicine is hard to define, but is the foundation of what sustains physicians over time. The art of medicine “involves understanding people and their vulnerabilities, having empathy, communication effectively, being exposed to storytelling and narrative about illness and suffering, sharing your own failures and successes, and finally wanting to be a part of this often messy and grey arena of caring for patients.”

The authors also describe the importance of practicing the art of medicine to the next generation of physicians. “In fact, the debate about burnout may be the beginning of a renaissance in medicine, where physicians reconsider how the art that feeds the joy of their calling is practiced.”