One wonders how we learned anything 25 years ago.  The internet, today's seemingly single source of one's information, did not exist.  I believe there were such things as Encyclopedia's, Dictionaries and of course magazines and newspapers.  We now; however, are in a environment where information is at our finger tips, whether it be online, on our cell phone, portable digital devices, or any other numerous ways people can interconnect and share information.   Many of our old forms of gathering information have died out or are dying.  Newspapers are closing or going "online" only, encyclopedias are a thing of the past. 

Cell phones, faxes, texting, twittering, blogging were non-existent.  I recall when on call I needed to make sure I had enough change to stop at a pay phone to respond to a page (are there still pay phones?).  Today one can be in constant contact with anyone you want. 

Just having the communication tools; however, does not necessarily make communication better.  The irony is that in recent years I think we as physicians are doing a poorer job of communicating and networking with each other.  The hospital used to be the hub of information exchange, it seemed there were more social events to network and catch up with each other. We would see each other at CME activities and functions, now one can complete requirements for CME online.   Now with many of us not even going to the hospital, physicians going to fewer hospitals and less social events, we are less connected than ever before.  Add to that the increasing demands of the practice, increasing overhead and stress of managing our businesses, the energy left to reach out to our colleagues is minimal.

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