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The physician has long held a place of high regard in the American imagination. In our most idealized picture, the doctor is a well-trained, beneficent miracle worker. We listen attentively to the pronouncements of doctors, both the diagnoses and the casual advice. We generally pay them very well for their know-how, and a medical degree, if one can achieve it, remains a dependable path up the income ladder. Doctors enjoy great prestige because of their technical knowledge, analytical intellect, and altruistic spirit.