The Road to Professionalism in Medical Informatics

Abstract

The observation that both theory and practice are essential ingredients of professionalism was made as far back as 2000 years ago by Vitruvius. In his classical work Ten Books on Architecture (cited in [McDermid9l]), Vitruvius outlined the range of subjects of which the architect and civil engineer must be knowledgeable, highlighting the equal importance of fabrica— practice, and ratiocinatio— theory. Practice is a mechanical facility, developed through study and exercise. Theory is the ability to describe and explain the designed object. Practitioners whose abilities are limited to the mechanical skills never achieve much of original significance. Those who, on the other hand, rely on their knowledge of the theory may mistake the shadow of the object for the object itself. Only those who are able to apply well-developed capabilities in both areas to the job to be done will accomplish it successfully.