The Decline of The Professional??

In reference to our discussion on Wednesday (10/07) about the changing dynamics of the health care profession, here is the NY Time's article discussing the changing public opinion of The Professional that has possibly contributed to those dynamics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/fashion/06professions.html?scp=4&sq=Profession&st=nyt

One particular paragraph sums up one opinion on the shift: "This decline, Mr. Florida argued, is rooted in a broader shift in definitions of success, essentially, a realignment of the pillars. Especially among young people, professional status is now inextricably linked to ideas of flexibility and creativity, concepts alien to seemingly everyone but art students even a generation ago." If definition of success is the ability to be flexible and creative, then I think that the Professional can still be viewed as an icon of success - it takes more than an understanding of physiology to be a good medical practitioner, in fact, I've heard medicine referred to as an art form as much as it is referred to as a science. That being said, maybe it's not only a shift in the ideals of success that have led to a decline of The Professional....

Thoughts?