How much science does a doctor use in practice

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Depends what you mean by science. If by that you mean EBM this varies highly based on the physician.
 
The algorithms you will use daily as a physician are all backed by several fields of science which you are expected to have learned during undergrad and mes school, and thereafter. An accurate diagnosis will require extrapolation of these topics to come to a proper treatment plan.
 
let's not get into the same thing like with empathy

I highly value my liberal arts education and the humanities that I took, as I always say I use every bit of experience that I have as a human in relating to other humans in creating and carrying out a treatment plan

you absolutely have to consider human psychology, psychosocioeconomic determinants of health, to craft and sell patients on your plan

one of the first courses I ever took, because it was late sign up and I figured what the hey at least get some general credits out of the way, was cultural anthropology

relevant!
 
Always? What else do you think medicine is based on
 
hmmmm besides science and liberal arts what is the practice of medicine based on....

that's hard given that encompasses a broad swath of all human knowledge...

it might be easier to identify what I *don't* use a lot of
 
Less science than you would think, given the curriculum for the first two years of medical school.

But still a good amount, depending on your specialty and how you approach your decision making. If you really enjoy straight up science, you can always get involved in basic science or translational research.
 
Medicine is applied science, not basic science. Like engineering is to physics. It can be applied correctly or incorrectly but at its heart it is still based on science. I also use language, culture, economics, etc. in my everyday practice. I do have to relate to my patients, communicate with them, minimize financial harm to either them or the medical system, etc. Medicine and it’s practice can be a complex beast if you want to excel.

I was a chemistry major, one class short of Japanese minor, also learned Spanish and did some other stuff in college. All useful to some extent. (Especially in a patient interaction branch of medicine.
 
I don’t “use” any sciences per se in that I’m not actually doing any basic science as part of my clinical work, but the concepts learned and healthy skepticism in the sciences undergirds much of medicine. It’s a basic framework on which to hang the conceptual knowledge of being a physician. That said, I don’t use much of what I learned in medical school either, at least not knowingly or directly. Here again, it’s the concepts and thinking that occasionally come up. Much of clinical practice is algorithmic (either some else’s or your own) and many time since requires little conceptual thinking. It’s when you get a situation that doesn’t fit the pattern that you go back to basic concepts and figure out what’s going on. I would personally feel very nervous if I didn’t have that foundation to fall back, even if I don’t have to often.

Oddly, I probably actually use on a daily basis more of what I learned as an artist than what I learned in medical school. The ability to listen - really listen - and do so intently while also processing what’s being said. The ability to read a room, see the people and the positioning and the body language and use all of it to your advantage. As a resident, the calm that comes with having already taken one art from novice to accomplished professional, and knowing that this process may not always make sense much like etudes and scales made little sense once, but confident that I’ll be well prepared for a career when it’s all done.
 
lol, but what is the science of "feel good"? (OMT)

what feels good feels good, and to some extent is medicine

hell, placebo is medicine

it's like what comes up about whether or not marijuana is effective for pain, etc

being high makes you feel better, that's what it is to be high!

risk of harm, expense is the other side of this

anyway, relevant to OP, is that science is a great deal of what is done, but don't knock on the rest of it
 
operaman said:
I don’t “use” any sciences per se in that I’m not actually doing any basic science as part of my clinical work, but the concepts learned and healthy skepticism in the sciences undergirds much of medicine. It’s a basic framework on which to hang the conceptual knowledge of being a physician. That said, I don’t use much of what I learned in medical school either, at least not knowingly or directly. Here again, it’s the concepts and thinking that occasionally come up. Much of clinical practice is algorithmic (either some else’s or your own) and many time since requires little conceptual thinking. It’s when you get a situation that doesn’t fit the pattern that you go back to basic concepts and figure out what’s going on. I would personally feel very nervous if I didn’t have that foundation to fall back, even if I don’t have to often.

Oddly, I probably actually use on a daily basis more of what I learned as an artist than what I learned in medical school. The ability to listen - really listen - and do so intently while also processing what’s being said. The ability to read a room, see the people and the positioning and the body language and use all of it to your advantage. As a resident, the calm that comes with having already taken one art from novice to accomplished professional, and knowing that this process may not always make sense much like etudes and scales made little sense once, but confident that I’ll be well prepared for a career when it’s all done.
Click to expand...
:clap:
 
Kei22 said:
When it comes to making a diagnosis, coming up with treatment plans etc. how much science are you actually using?
Click to expand...

Depends on how you define "science".

If you define it the way Hobbes did ("Science is the knowledge of consequences, and dependence of one fact upon another."), then I always use it.
 
You definitely use the knowledge that science has generated for us. Thus, "using science". But do most of us actually know how to do science? I wouldn't say so. I would say that most physicians wouldn't really know how to conduct or interpret a study properly. (saying this based on my experience, i may be wrong).
 
scientific method, all the time

you have a hypothesis, you test it by attempting to control and affect variables, and then you measure and interpret results

yes, it is applied science

I joke that I like science, I like people, I went into medicine to do science on people, haha
 
Crayola227 said:
let's not get into the same thing like with empathy

I highly value my liberal arts education and the humanities that I took, as I always say I use every bit of experience that I have as a human in relating to other humans in creating and carrying out a treatment plan

you absolutely have to consider human psychology, psychosocioeconomic determinants of health, to craft and sell patients on your plan

one of the first courses I ever took, because it was late sign up and I figured what the hey at least get some general credits out of the way, was cultural anthropology

relevant!
Click to expand...
Pretty sure I was being facetious...
 
Tenk said:
I know when I removed the $20 bill out a stripper’s vagina one time I felt like I was doing great science.
Click to expand...
You cna't post something like this without details, please.

OP, as an oblique reference to your query, I'll quote two very wise SDNers:
The wise DrMidlife on research: “you've preferably had some exposure to research so you can be convinced that Wakefield used malicious dirtbag methods and is not the savior of the world's children.”

The wise Crayola227 on research: So tired about the whining over the foundation of knowledge that is expected in a physician. We're applied scientists ffs. Own that. If you can't own it and take pride in it, gtfo.
 
Goro said:
You cna't post something like this without details, please.

OP, as an oblique reference to your query, I'll quote two very wise SDNers:
The wise DrMidlife on research: “you've preferably had some exposure to research so you can be convinced that Wakefield used malicious dirtbag methods and is not the savior of the world's children.”

The wise Crayola227 on research: So tired about the whining over the foundation of knowledge that is expected in a physician. We're applied scientists ffs. Own that. If you can't own it and take pride in it, gtfo.
Click to expand...
That was actually pretty much the whole story. I’ve found all sorts of things on physical exam ranging from drugs, money, used condoms and even crap I can’t even identify to begin with.

The best was a traumatic arrest where we took off the bra and a bunch of cocaine and cash in plastic bags spilled out everywhere. Fun times.
 
I want to shoot myself every time people mention on rounds and bring up ridiculous differential about protein binding or some other absolutely obscure theory as to why this 76 YO post op women is vomiting 48 post op... like wtf?!
 
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