Part II: Reformers in Medical Education and Practice

Abstract

Background Part I was published in Can J Plast Surg 2000;8(1):25–29. It established that standards of professional practice shift constantly. When a standard falls short of professional expectation or when a physician becomes more concerned with financial gain rather than patient care, society needs the action of a reformer. Part II continues the study and begins with the contribution of reformer John Hunter (1728–1793), and follows with the contributions of seven other reformers, concluding with Wilder Penfield (1891–1976). Study Design The reformers were physicians and scientists who were selected throughout the history of medicine: they conformed to our definition of reformers, namely, a person whose action changed the structure or ideology of medical practice. Results The present historical article shows that reforms are produced by people possessing critical judgement and analytical quality who influenced the direction of medical practice. Conclusion Reforms have been achieved through intuitive leaps, alterations of conventional practice, painstaking research or administrative restructuring.