The secret doctors keep from you

Nautilus -   Uncertainty is something we hide from in medicine. As doctors, we exist to make things certain for our patients. We call it a diagnosis. We hone our skills and carry a toolbox of tests to provide it. And then we prescribe drugs to treat it.

When we meet uncertainty we cannot overcome, we get ill at ease. We grapple with uncertainty like a psychic beast in our minds and often hide it from our patients and colleagues. We know our patients are often torn with uncertainty about symptoms and what to do about them, but we’re not very good at talking to them about uncertainty. Medical school teaches us to put on a confident face. It doesn’t cover how to treat the symptoms of doubt.