Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Oct
27
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“Medicine Isn’t A Science…”
There are 12 comments to this post.
I actually agree with this one.
If we had all knowledge, we might be able to figure out exactly why things happen — why do some women develop pre-eclampsia, while others with the same risk profile don’t; why do some mothers hemorrhage and others don’t; why do some babies stay breech and others don’t. Since we don’t have all knowledge, we’re left up to best guessing — an art, not science. There are, certainly, scientific influences (which is why there are studies, and evidence-based medicine), but much of medicine is more art than science.
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Kat Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 8:22 am (Quote)
I don’t think the existence of situations and conditions for which the scientific cause is as yet unknown means that the discipline of medicine is not itself a science.
The art of caring for the whole person (mind, body, spirit) of a human being definitely requires creativity, but the science of diagnosing and treating a medical condition ought to be more science than “artistic expression” if you get my meaning. That’s the whole point of scientific studies to determine which practices lead to better outcomes, and which ought to be rightfully abandoned as outdated and unsafe.
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In a ‘way’ I agree that it is (ultrasound for example) but there is a scientific basis for many things (think evidence based care!) considering many health professionals provide service based on what every other Doc is doing on the dance floor (hence the ‘art’ and ‘fad’ of care) it is really mucky water.
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Ahh! Yet another variation of “Sometimes these things just happen…”
Nothing causes the brain and mouth to disengage from working in tandem like the death of a baby, unfortunately. I know “I’m so sorry for your loss” seems unoriginal and inadequate, but for goodness sake it’s light years better than saying something like this! The death of a loved one is no time to attempt a display of sparkling wit.
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Unfortunately, the pressure to produce a guaranteed outcome is part of what is driving up cesarean rates, despite the fact that major surgery carries its own risks as any surgery does.
Even surgery does not give anyone any guarantees. It only brings in an alternate set of risks, including risks to future pregnancies.
So… I can see why a doc might say that. There are no guarantees.
But the “art” of modern obstetrics in my opinion is like modern art in general. Mechanistic, contrived, and industrial. A taste I have not acquired.
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Nicholas Fogelson had this to say,
Nov 20, 2009 @ 10:53 am (Quote)
No question there is some art to what an OB does. There is evidence to go by on a lot of things, but sometimes we are just going by our experience and making the best decisions we can, and helping our patients to make the best decisions they can. If medicine was a complete science it could all just be in a computer and we could plug in all the data and get the answers. We’d just roll the doctors out of the closet when some surgery needs to be done.
Even science isn’t a complete science. Astrophysics and engineering depend on creative thought to find new solutions to questions, and sometimes to even think of new questions. Medicine is no different.
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The OB said this to me and my husband on a follow-up visit after the one where she stripped my membranes at 37 weeks…without consent. She spent the beginning of this visit trying to find a reason why I needed to be induced, because, of course, that would somehow justify what she had done. First, she insisted I had to let her check my cervix again, then she became angry when I refused and said I must have an ultrasound to check fluid volume, because all my fluid could be gone. Never mind that I was measuring perfectly on dates. When her methods were questioned, she responded w/ the above.
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Um, no, medicine is NOT a science! Some of medicine is scientifically-based, but that doesn’t make the practice of medicine a science.
I actually think the description of it as more of an art is very apt. If only they would be more artistic with the practice, it would be nice.
The OB was way off for performing a procedure without consent, but that doesn’t make this quote wrong. She just used a fact to try to justify something she was doing wrong.
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Had an OB say that to me when we were trying to figure out why my child died at 16 weeks…it wasn’t a genetic issue, wasn’t my body in terms of clotting disorders, not a cord accident…all things were normal. Yet, my baby died anyway.
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