Abstract
Central to the doctor/patient relationship is its emphasis on the experiential aspect of the individual human being–an emphasis that is in danger of being lost between current enthusiasm for the biological and sociological dimensions of behavior. The study of the nature of transference phenomena is important for the understanding of the doctor/patient relationship and should include attention to the distinction between the transference and the transference neurosis. It should also be recognized that some patients with psychosomatic disease do not tolerate the intensity of the doctor/patient relationship; in such cases group therapy may be preferable to individual, one-to-one therapy. Finally, role-playing by students is a useful way of learning about the doctor/patient relationship but cannot take the place of experience with real patients as a didactic tool.