RESPECTFUL INSOLENCE

"A statement of fact cannot be insolent." The miscellaneous ramblings of a surgeon/scientist on medicine, quackery, science, and pseudoscience (and anything else that interests him).

Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Steve Novella weighs in on doctor-bashing

Post author By Orac
Post date August 1, 2008
10 Comments on Steve Novella weighs in on doctor-bashing

For those out there who think it was “beneath” me to have responded to PhysioProf’s rants about doctors and medical students last week, I present to you Steve Novella’s take on the matter. Leave it to Steve to generalize the issue beyond my relatively narrow take on the matter. I also point out that Steve is nowhere near as–shall we say?–insolent as I am. If he’s bugged enough to post a rant, it reassures me that I wasn’t as off the mark as I feared I might have been.

One thing that came out in my post was an observation that skeptics, including those attending TAM 6, share in these attitudes. I was shocked that so many skeptics, including even Neil deGrasse Tyson would so casually dismiss medicine as “indoctrination” and share similar dim views.

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By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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