Lead, follow or get out of the way: what is the physician's role in a changing society.

Physicians have always played a major role in health care delivery, but they must redefine their role if they are to meet the changing needs and expectations of society. In this Viewpoint article, University of Alberta medical student Matthew Rose suggests that the medical profession has two options. It can either recognize the demands of modern society and plan for more responsive and responsible health care, or it can try to protect its own interests and turf and adapt to changes only when it has no other choice.