Much nonsense has been written and discussed about the “ art ” of medicine. All too often, it amounts to a rationalization for doctors doing what they want to do instead of following the evidence. Medicine is not an art like painting. Neither is it a science like physics. Medicine is an applied science . Thinking beyond medical literature Since patients are not all identical, it can be very tricky to decide how to apply the science to the individual. There is even more to think about than what appears in the medical journal.
It can only address the patient as presented on paper in the case history. The real patient in the doctor’s office brings more baggage to the decision-making process. Allergies? Other factors that might increase the risk of surgery? A fear of surgery because his father died in the OR? An unwillingness to accept risks? A pathological fear of stroke that makes him…
