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For the last thirty years, medical science has a growing attention regarding an emphasis to return to humanism to counteract the "corporativism" around the health care system, because it seems to be responsible for the dehumanization of health. As medical educators, we are worried about the impact that our own professional behavior exerts on the development of the humanistic attitudes and behaviors of the medical students and residents, however it still seems that the concept of "humanism" is confusing among the medical areas. This brings out the need to clarify what we mean by "medical humanism." To reach a general consensus that supports the evaluation of the humanistic medical attitudes and behaviors and outlines specific pedagogical strategies that enhance and strengthen the term in the environment of medical education ad practice. This paper reviews the classical term "humanism" and its evolution inside medical science until it may be considered a way of life with an emphasis made on human welfare and it enables the construction of human values and norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]