Internal medicine? Personal reminiscenses from the 20th century

Abstract

Medicine, in the ancient time an empirical, often mysterious knowledge, aimed to help suffering people. It developed quickly and massively entering the way of scientific research in the last few centuries. Recently, it has shifted from natural towards social sciences to fulfill the demands and expectations of societies. Highly sophisticated and expensive tools and very complicated health care systems result in continuous reforms in teaching professionals. The inadequately controlled progress in medical practice creates dangers to social health and safety, surprisingly raising dissatisfaction and mass contestation. Such situation generates the need for reasonable health policy in steering scientific research to the most burning social problems instead to those most ambitious, fascinating, and promising biggest financial profit. That is why energetic movements for high level of ethics in scientific research and among health care professionals has been called for all over the world. Further development in medical sciences and progress in medical practice will certainly continue and both are highly desirable, however they should never disregard the rank of social needs which in various countries may be different.