The fact that we as a profession are sick is amply demonstrated by the statistics relating to alcoholism, suicide, drug abuse and other mental health problems.(1) In attempting to heal ourselves we must urgently root out preventable structural components of this problem and not just blame the individual psychodynamics of doctors. The caring personality may foster both the attraction for the work and the susceptibility to mental health problems. Perhaps, however, it is not this type of character which is pathological, but rather the failure to acknowledge or express it in an intellectually dominated medical environment. The poor design of medical education creates stress in not adequately training us for the job we have to do, but worse still may, by its character, timing and emphasis, rob us of the ability to get our needs met outside as well as inside the profession. Doctors' rotas, postgraduate exam pressure and frequent moves to take up posts around the country exacerbate this problem, undermining fami...