Now and Future Practice

In the past 11 chapters, we have visited some heroes, diseases, and treatments that are part of the heritage of the healing professions, we have discussed some of the language of medicine and some thoughts of our most erudite predecessors, and we have examined some instances of clinical practice, including a few times when what happened was not what we today would have wished. I hope that the 231 pages that we have traveled together so far have convinced you of the rich and (usually) honorable traditions of medicine. The tales are sometimes epic, at times tragic, sporadically triumphant, and occasionally lamentable. This last chapter suggests some ways that you, as a health professional or informed consumer, will now—I hope—learn more about medicine’s history and lore.