In the latest column by UTMB’s Dr. Victor S. Sierpina: Empathy refers to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person directly rather than interpreting them as we can do with compassion. Empathy is something that comes naturally to some people but can be developed and improved in others. Learning empathy is highly important in training health professionals. Patients expect and deserve attentive, understanding care from a provider who makes a skilled attempt to understand their perspective. Indeed, without such a connection, the therapeutic relationship and quality of care suffers.