ABSTRACT
Art is about freedom and control – you need both. Higher education is always split between the liberal arts and the sciences, so this is a natural and normal division. The art and science of medicine is a seemingly innocuous expression that lies at the heart of why patients feel they are not listened to or understood. Admittedly the phrase art and science has been in use for over a century, but it had a very different meaning back then. The term art and science of medicine presents a significant problem for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is an introject – a slogan that is swallowed whole without critical examination and accepted as a truth. Beautiful science is art, and highly skilled art is science. Science explains mystery, and art highlights mystery.
