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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

Something to be encouraged and nurtured

Regular readers here know that one of the themes of this blog is both a lament over the infiltration of quackademic medicine and a call to arms to fight it with science- and evidence-based medicine. However, to achieve this end, it won’t be enough for middle-aged farts like myself to take up the banner. We need to influence the next generation of doctors. In order to provide our patients with the best care, we need to inculcate the knowledge of science and how to apply it to medical questions into the next generation. In short, we need to win over residents and medical students.

Medical students like this one.

Understandably, this happily science-based medical student does not post that often. (Medical school’s like that.) But when he does post, he makes it count.

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]

10 replies on “Something to be encouraged and nurtured”

Nice find Orac! I especially enjoyed his first commenter.

Interestingly, studies have shown that less people die when doctors go on strike. Also, doctors don’t tend to be very healthy themselves either.

Has that guy ever commented on your blog?

Yes, s/he writes well. I could not post a comment there without some kind of OnLine ID. I hope he looks here to see he is well-received.

How can you win over folks with EBM? Woo is so much friendlier. It has simple words. The woomisters have such kind faces. Hard to beat woo with logic.

Au contraire, pinky! Logic is SHINY and makes one feel all WARM and TINGLY when analyzing arguments! It’s like a big, cozy, fluffy blanket, wrapped around your own personal Chandra X-Ray Observatory! It’s your personal playmate and protector all rolled into one, like Carl the babysitting Rottweiler! Logic helps us DANCE through the universe without stepping in any poo! Logic banishes demons and things that go bump in the night! When we cry out in the darkness, Logic is like Mom with a flashlight!!! What could be friendlier? 🙂 Who could look at this face and think “not friendly”???

(Have some more coffee, Perky)

One day, while browsing my list of medblogs, I was absolutely stunned to find a female in the evidence-based medical profession touting the benefits of Noni juice!

Good grief. People get so sideswiped by pseudoscience and marketing pitches about “antioxidants” and “superfoods” that they lose perspective about all the everyday foods that cost much less and are just as nutritious. If you feel like drinking noni juice, eat a raw orange or a handful of blueberries instead. Heck, eat a raw noni fruit. All of the fiber and most of the macronutrients are lost when juicing fruits and vegetables.

(Sadly, I can no longer remember the blog as I deleted it from my reading list immediately…)

I’m glad to see at least one medical student that is steering clear of the woo. Bravo!

Logic in arguments is overrated! I can tell my wife all I want how at this moment 6 billion humans are alive who all have successfully gone through the teething phase – she still makes me get up and check and the little screamer.

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