The Culture of Medicine
The profession of medicine has a distinct culture that evokes responses ranging from respect and trust to allegations of elitism and condescending paternalism. Once we become part of a culture, its values and formal and informal rules of conduct become invisible; they are second nature. So contributors to the February 2015 issue attempt a difficult task when they undertake analyzing the culture of medicine from within, often through the lens of medical education and training—focal points for admission to the profession and transmission of its values and attitudes to the upcoming generation of physicians.