Every day, we are reminded that the health care system is in crisis. We are going bankrupt. There are too many lawsuits. We practice defensive medicine. We restrict access. But surveys of doctors indicate a problem that penetrates much deeper than this. Today, almost 50 percent of doctors report symptoms of burnout??emotional exhaustion, low sense of accomplishment, detachment. Countering doctor burnout with a refresher course on the capacity to heal. Medicine is facing a crisis, but it?? not just about money; it?? about meaning. We often think of medicine as a science, and many doctors do come to think of themselves as technicians. But healing involves far more than knowledge and skill. The process by which a doctor helps a patient accept, recover from, adapt to, or endure a serious illness is full of nuance and mystery. I was often moved by how much my father-in-law ??an actor who died from a form of leukemia ??drew comfort and even inspiration from the relationship he had with his hematologist (who requested a Shakespeare recitation at each visit). Read More?at ?www.opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com