Introduction

The behaviour of individuals and groups when confronted by the intimidation, fear and dread of illness is inseparable from the notion that they have of themselves and is deeply embedded in the culture's general history. When students share their revelations about the people they work with, and the situations they find themselves in, the world of the hospital is illuminated from their collective perspective. Their honesty and exuberance and their moral outrage are evident and powerful and provide insights into the current cultural climate we all live in. This book extends the personal and private nature of reflective accounts to the political and social. The personal becomes the political in professional groups. The book has been written by final year students from the University of Bristol. The reflective accounts appearing in the book were originally written by students as part of an assignment during a Shadowing course that began at Bristol University in the spring of 2000.