 | The Vanishing Physician-Scientist? Throughout history, physicians have played a vital role in medical discovery. These physician-scientists devote the majority of their professional effort to seeking new knowledge about health and disease through research and represent the entire continuum of biomedical investigation. They bring a unique perspective to their work and often base their scientific questions on the experience of caring for patients. Physician-scientists also effectively communicate between researchers in the "pure sciences" and practicing health care providers. Yet there has been growing concern in recent decades that, due to complex changes, physician-scientists are vanishing from the scene. In this book, leading physician-scientists and academic physicians examine the problem from a variety of perspectives: historical, demographic, scientific, cultural, sociological, and economic. They make valuable recommendations that--if heeded--should preserve and revitalize the community of physician-scientists as the profession continues to evolve and boundaries between doctors and researchers shift. Dr. Andrew I. Schafer is the E. Hugh Luckey Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and Physician-in-Chief at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is past president of the American Society of Hematology, the founding editor in chief of its publication, The Hematologist , and President-Elect of the Association of Professors of Medicine. |
