The "good" physician: Oslerian aphorisms in the 21st century

On February 2, 1899, William Osler gave a lecture before the students and faculty of Albany Medical College. As a founding member of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Osler had already established himself as a prominent physician and educator and would spend the rest of his career bolstering his reputation as a public speaker. This brief essay looks at four of the more salient points of this lesser-known address, discussing the ways in which he practiced his own advice and finally asserting that his contributions to medical education are still broadly relevant in the 21st century.