Commentary: Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

In this commentary, the author asks, can educators learn from being reminded of moments of poor judgment or inappropriate behavior in the history of medical education, or should these incidents not be revived and revisited? The question is posed in relation to the accompanying article in this issue by Halperin, which examines the publication of a medical textbook that featured pin-up style photos of women but not men. Both in the past and now, attitudes and behaviors can be found within medical education that have helped to sustain cultural misunderstanding and bias. It may be difficult to become aware of these attitudes and the ways they can infect teaching, thus detracting from good care of patients. A more recent example from the author's experience is discussed, regarding physician bias toward treating patients with HIV/AIDS. Readers are reminded that medicine not only exists in the context of social mores and customs, but helps create them. Examining the past can help to cultivate awareness of such inappropriate bias and generate strategies for resistance.