Who needs doctors? Staying fresh in changing times

Abstract

As society changes, doctors must adapt. Despite remarkable advances in medicine, the pace of change -greater now than ever - is challenging doctors to define their role and relevance. Is medicine really facing a crisis? Are claims for a malaise in medicine overstated? Regardless, the profession has been called upon to respond collectively to change. However, clinicians as individuals will need to be equipped with a strategy for embracing and enjoying change. Approaches will vary but one constant should be a steadfast adherence to the scientific basis of medicine as a way of thinking. Engagement with the medical humanities will also help doctors stay fresh and deepen their understanding of what it feels like to be ill. In so doing, clinicians will find inspiration in the ordinary. © Royal College of Physicians, 2011. All rights reserved.