title: The director-general of health: a cautionary tale.
abstract: The recent return of the director-generalship of health to the medical domain raises some interesting historical questions about credentials, status and influence of this position over the past 75 years. This article examines three specific aspects - attempts since 1920 to introduce a nonmedical head, criteria for selection and changing patterns of tenure.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Auckland School of Medicine.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dow
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000266:history