Hospitals today are filled with machinery that has replaced human labor, which was once the only available system of service. The rise of technology in the healthcare field not only continues to pave the way for alternative operating procedures but also for managing entire patient records. How has technology changed modern medicine and what are its implications for future doctors entering the field? I argue that a contradiction is emerging in modern medicine: on one hand technology can now do so much to replace what doctors previously did. On the other hand, patients want to engage with their doctors, and not have impersonal technological interactions. New creations of humanoid robots in Belgium and doctor diagnosis apps in China have allowed people to bypass the geographical and time constraints of waiting to see an actual physician. The Internet has also revolutionized the way people seek out answers to their medical questions. With such innovations that can handle entire archives of information, the roles of modern doctors must accordingly adjust, for they are no longer required to be human databases. Patients today are looking for humanistic approaches and holistic treatment. Medical schools have also recognized the all-inclusive demands of healthcare, and thus have shifted the MCAT topics, which now include humanistic subjects. My research project will not only analyze articles regarding technology and its ability to revolutionize medicine, but will also feature interviews from patients, doctors, and aspiring doctors. Finally, I will also integrate physician memoirs to compare how the roles of doctors have changed since the internet became such an integral part of the healthcare field.
