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Arch Intern Med. 1998;158:1059-1061.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

GENERALIST AND specialist physicians are under increasing economic pressures to stretch their capabilities. Many managed care organizations believe generalist physicians can provide more efficient and less costly medical care than specialist physicians. As these physicians manage the treatment of patients with more complex diseases and perform more procedures, it will be especially important for them to understand the limits of their knowledge and skills. Conversely, as specialist physicians see fewer patients, they may feel financial pressure to practice more primary care medicine—a type of medicine they do not commonly practice. The question arises: How do medical educators encourage physicians to recognize and accept their limits?

Until the last half of this century, overstepping one's limits was a lesser problem for physicians because there were fewer skills and therapies to master. Today, even subspecialists have difficulty keeping up with the knowledge in their restricted fields. As medical knowledge and technology continue . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RECOGNIZING LIMITS

OVEREXTENDING LIMITS

ACCEPTING LIMITS

PROBLEMS

SUMMARY