title: The making of a physician.
abstract: Medicine is a science, and healing, an art. The right mix of a scientist and an artist is essential in a good physician. Clinical detachment is the balance between the scientist and the human. Good physicians are born; however, it is possible to cultivate the qualities. Gaining the patient's confidence is an art; a sense of humor can greatly help. Give a child respect and he becomes your friend. Death is inevitable, but a physician can help make it less agonizing. A good physician is a philosopher, aware of the beauty of life, of his limitations and conscious of the power that controls us.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Gastroenterology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan