The editorial on whether medicine is still a profession appears to emphasize that the work ethic of our profession, which traditionally was maintained primarily by the “guardian moral syndrome” is now being breached on two fronts: “better education and empowerment of patients” and “commercialization of the medical knowledge base.”1
I am surprised that the editorialist failed to consider the role that government may have had in the erosion of the physician's moral work ethic. In Canada, the amount of work physicians can do in delivering patient care is not only regulated but also controlled by the provincial and federal governments. In addition, the drug benefit formulary regulates which drugs can be prescribed for any given disease. Finally, governments determine the number of practising physicians, both family practitioners and specialists, by having absolute control (through funding) on the numbers of medical students and postgraduate residency positions.
Having just retired after more than 50 years of practice, I feel that in spite of the many changes in our society, physicians by and large continue to be professionals, through their dedication to taking care of patients.
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