La vocation médicale face à la fin de vie : de la spiritualité intime à l’éthique collective

An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in France by interviewing ten physicians facing end of life and death issues in their daily work. They all work in hospitals and belong to palliative care networks. Medical profession as a fieldwork offers insights at the intersection of intimate spirituality and medical deontology ethics. Both are supported by the Hippocratic oath, by healthcare institutions, and by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Health. Within a context strongly mediatized and legalized, this chapter questions what end of life concerns may induce in terms of consequences within the physician-patient relationship. Results offer two types of recommendations in order to develop physicians’ initial training and professional supervision, as well as to enhance public health policies.