At bedside, stay stoic or display emotions?

New York Times, April 24, 2008

For years, medical schools and residency training programs avoided the topic of emotions. Doctors learned the facts about cancer and other serious diseases, but when it came time to reveal grim diagnoses, they were largely on their own. These days, all medical schools have some type of education in topics like the physician-patient relationship and breaking bad news. But knowing how to respond to personal emotions due to stress or sadness remains a major challenge.