Bingo. After a lot of hard spent soul searching and observation I attribute this mainly to the advent of the PC and high productivity software. All the professions must render a value to society. The mechanics of producing the deliverables in those professions all hinged upon the first the professional skills and then the mechanics to communicate those evaluations, frequently by paper.
For every seasoned professional, there were 10 to 100 tradesmen or subprofessionals in the same industries who aspired to perform work, past predicated upon professional review, but now a echanism existed where subprofessional work could generate just sufficient communication to direct workable solutions (at least short-term workable solutions viable for perhaps 1-4 years without professional approval)
Then the MBAs/yuppies marched into play seeking mammon.
The response time of the clients to identify subprofessional insufficient design was greater than the longevity of the clients directing work.
Doctors were redirected into PPOs or Coops and HMOs merely as well educated technicians and their prognoses were replaced by JCAHO standards.
Accountants were redirected to corporate mergers and due diligence evaluations of competitors to seize marketshare, while their accounts became spreadsheet manipulations by bookkeepers.
Lawyers had their actions prepared by paralegals and codified rulings promoted out of court settlements over sincere dedication to the law.
Engineers have had their designs codified and regulated to the point that well engineered designs today are frequently not approved because they aren't understood by subprofessionally trained inspectors only familiar with local codified standards and municipal funding mechanisms.
IMHO, The professions are still more stable and robust than their counterparts in the trades.