The elective surgeon's reaction to change and conflict.

The social and technologic advancements that have caused elective surgery to flourish and seem like an ideal specialty have also placed considerable strain and burden on the surgeon. The elective surgeon, whose expertise is not clearly established and whose roles are ambiguous, is especially affected by the changes and attendant conflicts that are occurring in the spectrum of modern medicine. Data from objective studies indicate that the surgeon's rigorous training and personality characteristics cause him to react defensively to impending threat and thus make him vulnerable to litigation. This article offers a positive approach to change and conflict.