The term "Medical Science" Is an oxymoron. Please discuss.?

L

Lightning

New member
I was under the impression that medicine 'Isn't an exact science".
I didn't think it was a science at all but an art.
If its a science why are tests subject to interpretation? If the science was watertight there could only be one answer.

How can a patient present to a number of doctors with the same symptoms and get given different diagnoses by each of them if its a science?

Your comments please...
Thanks for your answer Matt.
Common is common.
Your clinical skill as a practitioner comes from case history, clinical testing and differential diagnoses. I don't have a problem with medicine being the art and science fortifying the art.
I'm an Osteopath and I think of my job as an art not a science although I will often use objective tests to form a working diagnosis which is an educated guess at best.
 
M

MattT1

Member
But science isn't water tight, especially on the cutting edge of things. The difference between science and art, is that science will go back until they find the right answer and will leave out personal biases.

Unfortunately, you're mistaking doctors with scientists. Some doctors are scientists, others are more geared to just being a doctor. Plus there is a huge saying when it comes to diagnosing: "When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras". If everything lines up perfectly with something common, a doctor is more than likely going to go with that. There wouldn't be a reason to run countless tests right off the bat for something that is rather rare. You would go with the ailments that happen on a more frequent basis.

And then another reason why different doctors would give different diagnoses would be according to what that particular doctor knows the most about. Since I have a strong background in microbiology, I might look towards an answer in some sort of bacterial causation. I also wouldn't feel as comfortable about giving a diagnosis that I'm not the strongest in. I might have a fair bit of knowledge about it, but I would want to be 100% sure.
----
And back to interpretation of results. Sure, there are lots of "interpretations". But these interpretations are made extremely logically and well thought out. Its not like how one interprets a book they read where two people can finish it thinking two completely different things.
----
I do want to apologize, I'm not actually a doctor, I was speaking in hypothetically. (Though I do hope that changes down the road)

And now that you mentioned in your additional info, I do like the idea that it is an art in your definition. Kinda like a melding of the two ideas.

I wish I could be more insightful, but I'm starting to fail a bit here at 2:30am.
 
Top