This article presents an analysis of Samuel W. Bloom's book, The doctor and his patient: a sociological interpretation, in which the author offers a way to approach the principal sociological concepts to medical students. The focal point is the doctor-patient relationship starting from the case of chronic woman patient and the patterns adopted by physicians and other professionals to attend the patient. The main concepts used to understand the doctor-patient relationship process are social system, role, norms and institutions. The paper presents the different chapters of this landmark book in medical sociology published in 1963 and bio-bibliographical author's information. The conclusions retake some problems about the teaching of sociology to medical students.
Doctor-patient relationship; Mrs. Tomasetti; Medical sociology; Social system; Role
