'The poor historian': Heart sink? Or time for a re-think?

In this commentary article, the oft-heard expression, 'the poor historian', will be discussed. We will consider who the poor historian is and reflect on medical training to speculate how and why the expression has entered the medical lexicon. The potential negative impact of this terminology on patients and junior learners will be considered and strategies for re-framing this concept, for both clinical teachers and learners, will be presented.