| Abstrakt: |
IT is characteristic of inaugural speeches to point to the challenges which lie ahead or to mention the threshold at which we stand. I wish that I could depart from this time-honored tradition. Certainly nothing would give me more pleasure than to tell you that I view the future without misgivings and that I see nothing ahead but clear sailing and fair winds.The truth is that I do not.I believe that the next ten years will comprise medicine's decisive decade.I believe that medicine will encounter line squalls, veering winds, and rough waters.I believe that we do stand at the threshold.Arnold Toynbee, the great British historian, has observed that the course of nations throughout history has been determined by their response to the challenges of their time.I believe the same observation applies to the medical profession.We are challenged to prove, once again, that medicine |
