The doctor's profession

Abstract

Despite the successes of medicine, the truth is that there is a prevailing climate of disappointment regarding the likelihood of curing many common illnesses. The traditional scientific paradigm is being questioned. So-called alternative medicine is expanding. And some of the founding values of the medical profession are under threat. At the same time, traditional medical culture is being challenged by two other cultures - the political and the entrepreneurial - both of which are increasingly influential in clinical decision-making, in health-care funding and in management choice.