How do Turkish and french physicians perceive patients, and what is the concept of patient in their minds? a comparative study

This thesis is a comparative study on Turkish and French physicians. It contains an evaluation of their perception of patient and the concept of patient in their mind.A research was carried out on 50 Turkish and 25 French physicians in this context, and the results, in short and in general, are shown below:Turkish physicians can not keep their human virtues and weaknesses away from their professional activities. They think that their patients are problematic and insufficient in the medical relationship, and have tendency to be paternalistic.On the other hand French physicians keep their professional identity in the forefront. In their opinion French patients have features that provide advantage in medical relationship. French physicians expect their patients to be more active in this relationship, and have a deep respect for patient autonomy.Key Words: Concept of patient, Patient-physician relationship, Medical ethics, Sociology of health.