Physicians without Chests: Character Formation in Medical School

Abstract Modern medical education risks producing, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “men without chests”—individuals who possess the cognitive “head” to analyze ethics and the “belly” of technical appetites, but lack the “chest”: the stable moral sentiments and virtues required to bridge knowledge and action. Drawing on Aristotelian ethics and Lewis’ insights, this paper argues that prioritizing cognitive mastery and performative professionalism is insufficient for true character formation. Despite the rise of Professional Identity Formation, the hidden curriculum—which often values efficiency over empathy—may undermine formal instruction, leading to situations where students select correct answers on exams without internalizing the virtues necessary for clinical practice. To bridge this gap, medical education must shift from mere information to intentional formation. We propose a systemic realignment across three domains: (i) admissions, (ii) assessment, and (iii) institutional culture. By embracing education as the cultivation of the “chest,” the profession can move beyond producing technically competent practitioners to forming virtuous physicians grounded in practical wisdom.