My favorite activity today was the art interpretation session. It really reinforced the importance of balancing assumptions and behavior. On the one hand, context can be very important in medicine. We use epidemiology to form a differential diagnosis based on a patient’s demographics. On the other hand, assumptions can be false and lead to misdiagnoses. In the end, I think it’s important to keep both approaches in mind. Sometimes a patient’s presentation is ambiguous. Eventually, we must choose a course of action and develop a treatment plan. However, in going forward with this approach, I must be open to new evidence and embrace a willingness to change my diagnosis based on new information. If this happens, I shouldn’t castigate myself for being wrong, but encourage myself that I have the strength to admit my error based on new information. Admitting being wrong is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.
