The Art and Science of Medicine
Medicine is the practice of applying medical knowledge and skills for the purpose of improving health and reducing disease. It has been a core aspect of human civilization throughout most of its history. Many advanced industrialized countries have national health care systems that guarantee access to affordable medical services by all citizens on the basis of need rather than ability to pay.
Medical knowledge is derived both from basic scientific research and from experience gained in clinical practice. The latter is usually regulated by ethical and legal frameworks that distinguish it from charlatan practitioners who exploit people for financial gain, and the former is informed by the results of clinical trials and other studies, and the work of past physicians (such as Hippocrates).
A number of different paradigms of medical practice have been developed in recent years. These include environmental and conservation medicine, which addresses the relationship between human and non-human animals and their environment; disaster medicine, a sub-discipline of emergency medicine that deals with natural or man-made catastrophes; forensic medicine, which is used in criminal investigations; and gender-based medicine, which examines biological and physiological differences between the sexes.
Most of these specialties have evolved from the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics that are fundamental to all science. However, the application of these disciplines to the field of medicine has required a substantial amount of creativity and innovation.
In ancient times, the art of medicine was largely an intuitive process, reflecting the spiritual and religious beliefs of a particular culture. For example, a medicine man might apply herbs or say prayers for healing, and bloodletting followed the theories of humorism. More recently, most practitioners of modern medicine have been trained in scientifically based procedures.
The scientific foundation of modern medicine is the body of evidence accumulated through medical journals, which have become an essential source of information for researchers and doctors alike. The majority of these are published by medical societies and are available through subscriptions. Some journals publish a wide variety of topics, while others focus on specific groups of diseases or clinical issues, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or infectious disease.
These journals also often create separate “departments” for articles with special requirements or formats, such as the Journal of American Medical Association’s “Diagnostic Imaging” and “Clinical Update” departments.
There are also a number of popular medical apps that can help learners train their memory and learn terminology on the go. Some are designed to work offline, so they can be accessed without data or WiFi, and some are interactive, using gamification to make learning fun and engaging.
Medicine is the practice of applying medical knowledge and skills for the purpose of improving health and reducing disease. It has been a core aspect of human civilization throughout most of its history. Many advanced industrialized countries have national health care systems that guarantee access to affordable medical services by all citizens on the basis of need rather than ability to pay. Medical knowledge is derived both from basic scientific research and from experience gained in clinical practice. The latter is usually regulated by ethical and legal frameworks that distinguish it from charlatan practitioners who exploit people for financial gain, and the former is informed by the results of clinical trials and other studies, and the work of past physicians (such as Hippocrates). A number of different paradigms of medical practice have been developed in recent years. These include environmental and conservation medicine, which addresses the relationship between human and non-human animals and their environment; disaster medicine, a sub-discipline of emergency medicine that deals with natural or man-made catastrophes; forensic medicine, which is used in criminal investigations; and gender-based medicine, which examines biological and physiological differences between the sexes. Most of these specialties have evolved from the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics that are fundamental to all science. However, the application of these disciplines to the field of medicine has required a substantial amount of creativity and innovation. In ancient times, the art of medicine was largely an intuitive process, reflecting the spiritual and religious beliefs of a particular culture. For example, a medicine man might apply herbs or say prayers for healing, and bloodletting followed the theories of humorism. More recently, most practitioners of modern medicine have been trained in scientifically based procedures. The scientific foundation of modern medicine is the body of evidence accumulated through medical journals, which have become an essential source of information for researchers and doctors alike. The majority of these are published by medical societies and are available through subscriptions. Some journals publish a wide variety of topics, while others focus on specific groups of diseases or clinical issues, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or infectious disease. These journals also often create separate “departments” for articles with special requirements or formats, such as the Journal of American Medical Association’s “Diagnostic Imaging” and “Clinical Update” departments. There are also a number of popular medical apps that can help learners train their memory and learn terminology on the go. Some are designed to work offline, so they can be accessed without data or WiFi, and some are interactive, using gamification to make learning fun and engaging.