Our future is now

Abstract

1. Susan Leclair 1. is Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Laboratory Science One could say that the 19th century was marked by great advances in fact. Science made enormous strides in understanding the workings of nature. From Pasteur to Darwin, issues of how life arose and continues to change were the stuff of meetings, journals, and great debate. The twentieth century continued that work but its history is marked more by issues of humanity rather than science. From the slaughter of Armenian Christians in 1915 to the demonstrations for civil rights exemplified by the solitary and anonymous man standing in front of a Chinese tank in Tiananmen Square, the last century was more focused on broad issues affecting how civilizations work with each other and with their people. Now, as we move into the twenty-first century, there are clear signs that this time, our time, may be concerned with issues of individuality and individual decision making. Whether we look to stem cell research, genetic testing, or insurance coverage, the focus is now on the individual. It is the individual's choice that will cause both the controversy to occur and the consensus to be built. What will be the role of the health professions in this century? Will they sit by and say nothing allowing their individual members to stand alone? Or will they participate, knowing that individual members may not support the position created by the majority? Said another way—what is the role of the individual health professional? Should they be in the forefront of considered debate or not? Many in our…