Ian McWhinney is one of the most widely respected philosophers and investigators in medicine. He has received numerous awards from academic societies--among them the Curtis Hames Award and the Certificate of Excellence from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine--has been appointed a Member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States, has been awarded an honorary MD by the University of Oslo, and has had a long career of publication and teaching in countries all over the world. In 1968, he became first the professor and chair of family medicine in Canada, at the University of Western Ontario. During his career, he has constantly explored the meaning of medical practice for both physicians and patients. His writing has influenced generations of scientists in family medicine and beyond. This transcript is an abridged and edited version of interviews with Dr. McWhinney in May 1991 and February 1992.