No greater opportunity, responsibility, or obligation can fall to the lot of a human being than to become a physician. In the care of the suffering, [the physician] needs technical skill, scientific knowledge, and human understanding.… Tact, sympathy, and understanding are expected of the physician, for the patient is no mere collection of symptoms, signs, disordered functions, damaged organs, and disturbed emotions. [The patient] is human, fearful, and hopeful, seeking relief, help, and reassurance.
—Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 1950
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Being a doctor is a privilege; our patients allow us to share in their troubles and triumphs, and place their faith in our judgement and skill.
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The physician is not just a prescriber medicaments but a symbol of all that is transferable from one human to another - short of immortality.
We may not live forever, but we persist in the notion lotion that the physician possesses the science and artistry that will provide us with endless deferrals
---Norman Cousins
Medicine is often supported by “hard science” of research evidence.
clinical practice often shifts to the “soft science” of medicine, combining patients’ culture and beliefs, their histories, and medication adherence to provide the best possible care.
Cultural and Linguistic Competence