In The Public Interest Medical Licensing and The Disciplinary Process by Ruth Horowitz. Ruth Horowitz traces the history of medical licensure and the mechanism that democratic societies have developed to certify doctors to deliver critical services. She demonstrates the complex agendas different actors bring to board deliberations, the variations in boards across the country, the unevenly distributed resources available to board members, and the difficulties non-physician members face as they struggle to balance interest of the parties involved.