The Shaping of a Profession: Physicians in Norway, Past and Present

Larsen, Øivind, ed., 1997, xiv + 619pp.,iIllus.   Norwegian medicine viewed from the inside– Because it possess detailed records on the life and career of virtually every one of its physicians from the earliest times until the present day, Norway is able to make a special contribution to the history of professional development. Based on this biographical information and an extensive amount of other source material, the authors have analyzed the emergence of the Norwegian medical profession in light of the general development of the Norwegian society. A multidisciplinary approach was chosen, and scholars from the fields of history, social sciences, medical anthropology, geography, philosophy and the natural sciences combined their skills and experiences with those of medical faculty members from the national medical schools, physicians practicing medicine in the health services, and colleagues holding positions in health administration and in the Norwegian Medical Association. Medica