Doctors' Work: The Legacy of Sir William Osler

A photographic tribute to the man who changed the practice of medicine.

A little over a hundred years ago, becoming a doctor was dangerously easy. Admission requirements for training were low and the M.D. was automatically given after the second term, regardless of the student's academic performance. Teaching was by lecture alone, and a student could graduate without ever seeing a patient.

Within the space of his lifetime William Osler (1849-1919) worked tirelessly to change medical schools from trade schools into intellectually demanding academic institutions. Osler founded the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and later became a professor emeritus of medicine at Oxford University.

Doctors' Work shows how one remarkable man revolutionized medical schools and redefined the physician-patient relationship.

A biographical profile of Osler is followed by photographs of physicians, nurses, and medical technicians at work. Photographed by Ted Grant using extremely high-speed film and virtually silent cameras, these images capture the compassion and dedication of front-line healthcare professionals. Each photograph is accompanied with an insightful quotation by Osler, Pasteur, Curie, Einstein, Nightingale, and many others.

Through words and photographs, Doctors' Work is a celebration of MDs, RNs and health care professionals everywhere.