Humanism and the Art of Medicine

We are truly blessed. Reflect on what we have at our disposal in our efforts to help our fellow man. There is so much that we can do that we could not do when I entered practice. This in itself presents a challenge. We have entered a time of enormous and rapid technological advance. Our science is speeding into the future. Because our mission is to promote the science and art of medicine, we must consider the balance between the two. We must pause and reflect on the role of humanism in medicine—on that part of our professional calling that denotes the responsibility we have for caring, and the relationship between our art and our science. Let us begin by asking "What is the art of medicine?" Then let us identify what we must do to ensure that we physicians remain physicians in the full sense of our calling and