A few attributes require emphasis. Clinical competence is the
essential foundation of being a health professional, but caring and
compassion, openness, respect for the patient’s dignity and autonomy
and that elusive term ‘presence’ (accompanying the patient
throughout the course of their illness) are essential to fulfilling
the healer role. Patients must be able to trust their physicians and
to believe that they will be altruistic, placing the patient’s needs
above their own. Physicians must retain sufficient autonomy so that
they and their patients together can make evidence-based decisions
about treatment without external interference. Finally, the physician’s
role in the regulatory process must be taught and learnt. No
matter who is responsible for quality control and discipline, the
setting and maintenance of standards for education, training and
practice will remain an essential function of the profession. Students
must learn this at an early stage of their education and understand
the consequences if the profession fails to meet this obligation.