Perspectives for the Future

Abstract

This colloquium has attempted to look at the past as prologue and then at our current problems, to try to get a sense of future developments so that 1) we could adapt better to them and 2) possibly, as individuals or as representatives of groups or institutions, play some role in modulating developments for the better. We began with our philosopher who also served as historian, and I think set the stage well, constantly reminding us of the multiple roles of the physician both at any given time in history and as times changed. He delineated first the concept of the physician on the one hand and medicine on the other — the role of the individual physician with his individual patient and the role of the institution of medicine in society. Although he charted us well, apparently we got off the course rather frequently because throughout the conference he was constantly putting us back onto the main track.