No abstract

In this article content analysis is used to examine medical students' views on the standards of rationality in medicine of the past, present, and future. The study involved 229 residents of 32 specialties. A quantitative analysis of keywords in views of the future of medicine revealed indicators of all types of rationality. Postmodern ideals of superhealth and immortality became trends in medical futurology even though a tenth of respondents considered them illusory. Young doctors placed the basic tenet of the Hippocratic Oath, "Healing," back among the top keywords for medicine of the future. Faith, authority, dialogue, consent, and self-treatment have lost much of their appeal.