Bahá'í Physicians:
Emerging Roles and Responsibilities

by Hoda Mahmoudi and Gloria Teckie

About: This paper provides a preliminary overview of some issues relevant to the role of the Bahá’í physician in the practice of medicine and the delivery of health care, taking into account the spiritual dimension of being human as an inseparable aspect of the relationship between medical intervention and health. The authors examine aspects of good medical care including an appreciation of the interactions between—and treatment of—mind, soul, and body; patients’ role and responsibility toward maintaining their own health and for choosing a competent physician; the comprehensive nature of the physician–patient relationship; functions and responsibilities of the Bahá’í physician; and the role of physicians within the health care system and the Bahá’í approach to development and health care delivery.