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Originally Posted by NuclearFart
I totally agree, but I will reiterate that this is all about odds, and I am trying to put it into proper perspective for him. He is way, way more likely to die in a car accident driving to the doctor, than he is to die from anything the doctor diagnosis. Even if you incorporate all his relevant risk factors that "he didnt list", this still holds true. This is what I am trying to get across.
Modern day medicine is statistics. The Evidenced based medicine we hold in such regard, is at its very essence, numbers. Indications for screening, investigations, treatments, relative risks, sensitivity, specificity, validity - all based upon digits.
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This seems to be what is being taught to most med students. Even in undergraduate immunology courses (which is what i'm currently suffering through) the major focus is on what is the most likely cause of symptoms.
From what I understand through talking to friends going through med schools in the states, US trained doctors are generally less cost concious and thus have the leeway to pursue more agressive treatments, whereas a Canadian trained physician has been trained to take the "odds" approach because our healthcare system is publicly funded.
Case in point, if you have no previous medical history and go to a canadian GP complaining of a common symptom, such as a stomach pain, its very likely to be dismissed quickly and followup treatment is minimal. In the states, a doctor is much more likely to give a battery of tests to try and diagnose the problem right away.
Please correct me if I am wrong, as i am still very new to the world of medicine, but these are my observations having volunteered/worked in hospitals in both ontario and florida, as well as personal experiences with my grandfather who complained of the same symptoms to his GP in toronto for close to 20 years and having been misdiagnosed for 20 years with ulcers, to when he finally retired to the states being immediately diagnosed with systemic amyloidosis but at a stage where treatment was no longer viable and passing away shortly after.