We are in a mountain village in Greece. It doesn’t matter exactly where. On one hand, because the anonymity of the medical practitioners and the patients in the area must be preserved, and on the other hand, because the situations described in the following pages could have happened in any provincial clinic.

All the doctors who have completed their rural service have faced the same, if not greater, problems. The aim of this book is not to show how unique my experience was; on the contrary, it seeks to emphasize the lack of experience and comprehensive knowledge, the inadequacy of medical supplies, social and ethical issues, and disagreements among colleagues.

The application of Medical Science in practice is an exhilarating experience. Its social and ethical implications can prove to be enormous. Our duty and responsibility towards the patient never end. These are a few of the many realizations I had while revisiting the pages of the diary I kept during my rural practice.