Skeptical Scalpel

Finding out which hospitals are best is like “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Are you tired of seeing conflicting ratings from such once respected sources as Leapfrog, Medicare Compare,...

I’ve been pondering that question ever since this revelation splashed across the Internet. Like most of these groundbreaking discoveries, this one got plenty of media attention. Despite the numerous articles mentioning the...

I’m a pretty staunch defender of surgeons. I tend to take their (our) side on most issues, but a recent case from England raised some conflicting thoughts for me. David Sellu, a consultant (attending) colorectal surgeon at...

As I exist on the brink of extreme crankiness every day, it doesn’t take much to push me over the edge. Here are some things that do. Why do history and physical write-ups sound like transcriptions of interrogations?...

I say, “No.” Here’s why. There is way too much to learn in 3 years. Unless medical education is radically changed, it will be impossible for students to memorize all the unnecessary stuff they still have to...

The decline of medicine as a profession began when it became legal for doctors and hospitals to advertise. Apparently it all started when an Arizona lawyer sued for his first amendment right to advertise his services. In 1977,...

A concept that has been percolating in the medical literature boiled over into the mainstream as the New York Times published this story, “Chicago’s Intern ‘Boot Camp’ ” is a rehearsal for life or...

Give me a minute, and I’ll get to the cows and sharks. You would be surprised at how few doctors are familiar with even the most basic statistics. Medical journal articles often have statistical errors that are missed by...

Is it OK for a doctor to give a prisoner medications to induce paralysis, intubate his airway, place him on a ventilator, and perform a rectal examination to look for drugs? Is it OK to threaten a prisoner with the above actions...