On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 07:39:01 -0600, CRNG
wrote:

On Mon, 03 Feb 2014 21:39:43 -0500, Peter wrote in


Yes, medicine is still very much an art as well as a science. Accurately
predicting any individual patient's clinical course, especially in the
case of chronic illness, is usually impossible.

IMO one cause for misunderstanding is the medical profession's
(perhaps unconscious) cultivation of a public aura of infallibly; I.e.
the "..doctor knows best.." aura. I'm guessing that medical pros are
taught early to project a mystique of confidence and certainty so as
to reassure the patient and family that all is under control. And
that is certainly worthwhile. But I do believe it leads to
disappointment when reality sets in.

We have to convince patients to take medicine even if we know
that the chances of recovery are low. As long as side effects are not
worse than whatever affects them. Sometimes we have to lie to achieve
that. On the other hand, it would be criminal to use that trust to
flog medicine for kick-backs.
Medicine is all about probabilities. The more you study and
know, the higher the chance of getting it right. But only a charlatan
promises success. Each and every patient is unique.
[]'s
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