The Art of Medicine

The author’s medical training. Hippocrates and the Hippocratic oath, but the shift from ‘First, do no harm’ to modern medicine’s mantra, ‘First, do something’. Modern medical education, and patient contact throughout. A consultant physician’s ward round in the bad old days. The film Patch Adams, based on the life of the maverick Dr Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams, founder of The Gesundheit Institute, and his vision of patient-centred care. The shift from ‘the cholecystitis in bed 3’ to patient-centred care—and patient-centred medical training. The RCGP’s vision statement of 2019, Fit for the Future. Ivan Illich’s 1974 critique of medicine in Medical Nemesis. His term iatrogenesis (clinical, social, cultural). RACP’s EVOLVE initiative seeking evidence of efficacy. Dr John Powles’ 1973 paper ‘On the limitations of modern medicine’. Pain management and the opioid epidemic. The social determinants of health explained. The biopsychosocial model compared with the reductionist medical model. Medically unexplained symptoms and the difficulty of diagnosis. Buck-passing. The purpose and use of Balint groups. Medically unexplained symptoms and chest pain.