Empathy in medicine: Neuroscience, education and challenges

Empathy is a multifaceted skill and asset for health care providers. This paper uses current neuroscience literature of empathy to generate nuanced theory of how empathy can be blocked by personal stress and aversion among health care professionals. Current training approaches for educating sustainable empathy are reviewed in depth. The final part of the paper provides suggestions on how to spread empathy education farther and wider across medical education.