The Choice of a Medical Career [antikvár]

Edited by Joseph Garland, m.d. and Joseph Stokes III, m.d. Those of us who retain, however dimly, a picture of medical practice at the turn of the century must often marvei at the changes that it has undergone during these two generations. Medical practice was then almost entirely a matter of direct contact with the patient and of direct, usually unshared responsibility for his care. ] 'iiring this period much has been gained in the way of scientific progress; on the other hand, something in the w ly of kincjjy concern, of "caritas medici," as Dr. Beán terms it, although not lost, has tended to become less personal to many physicians and hardly enters into the cj^ty life to° many others. A profession that was once an art and to somé extent a science has become an aggregate of various sciences, yet striving to remain to every possible degree an art. For if medicine is to continue with its primary function of service to the individual patient it must alsó continue to cultivate understanding and sympathetic communication with him. It must encourage this in the face of an increasing professional preoccupation with clinical specialization, practicc by groups of physicians and surgeons, and the economic and political factors that threaten the traditional relation between doctor and patient. Despite all the ramifications that medicine has undergone and the sweet uses of its diversitv, most of which has been in the name of progress, one must still remember that the single purpose of the profession is the prevention of disease and the care of those who are ilL Such care is the direct function of the clinician, whether in the wards of an úrban hospitál or in the multiple responsibilities of a country practice. It is the indirect goal of the worker absorbed in the complicated technics of a research laboratory, which has become a way of life for so many ardent investigators. The totál care of the patient, as Dr. Burwell suggests in his introductory chapter, is a happy blend of science and art, regardless of such categorical factors as specialties. He has alsó indicated the four cornerstones on which the structure of the profession rests: the care of the patient, teaching, research and administration. This book consists of a series of originál essays presenting the gradually acquired wisdom of a number of leaders in their respective fields. It is intended to convey to the student or the physician on the threshold of a medical career as complete a picture as possible of the profession to which he is dedicating himself and the opportunities that it presents. On a practical level it is in|en#@d to serve as a guide for the channeling of his life within that profession. The Editors' Preface