In this insightful discussion, Marty Makary, a renowned Johns Hopkins surgeon and bestselling author, tackles the persistent blind spots in medicine. He reveals how groupthink stifles innovation and discusses the shift from surgical to non-operative treatments for appendicitis. The conversation delves into the peanut allergy epidemic, the myths surrounding hormone replacement therapy, and the urgent need for reform in medical education. Makary pushes for critical questioning in healthcare practices to improve patient outcomes and embraces new approaches.
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insights INSIGHT
Cognitive Dissonance in Medicine
Groupthink and cognitive dissonance affect medicine.
People cling to initial ideas, hindering scientific progress.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Appendicitis Treatment Shift
Surgeons used to treat appendicitis with immediate surgery.
A study revealed that antibiotics can resolve appendicitis cases.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Dismissing Evidence
Marty Makary offered a patient antibiotics for appendicitis.
The patient recovered, but a colleague dismissed the successful treatment.
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When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health
Marty Makary, MD
In 'Blind Spots', Dr. Marty Makary explores the latest research on critical topics ranging from the microbiome to childbirth, nutrition, and longevity, revealing the biggest blind spots of modern medicine. The book tackles urgent yet unsung issues in the $4.5 trillion health care ecosystem, highlighting how medical dogma and lack of evidence-based practices have led to significant public health crises, such as the opioid epidemic, peanut allergy epidemic, and mismanagement of hormone replacement therapy. Makary argues for a return to sound scientific studies and evidence-based medicine to improve health care outcomes.
When Prophecy Fails
Henry Riecken
Stanley Schachter
Leon Festinger
This book chronicles the experience of a UFO cult in the Midwest that believed the world would be destroyed and its members would be saved by extraterrestrial beings. The authors examine how the cult members reacted when their prophecy was disconfirmed, highlighting the psychological and social mechanisms that led to increased fervor and rationalization among the believers despite the failure of their predictions.
Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and New York Times bestselling author, returns to The Drive to discuss his latest book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health. In this episode, Marty explores how a new generation of doctors is challenging long-held medical practices by asking critical new questions. He discusses the major problems of groupthink and cognitive dissonance in the medical community and delves into several of the "blind spots" raised in the book, including treatments for appendicitis, the peanut allergy epidemic, misunderstandings about HRT and breast cancer, antibiotic use, and the evolution of childbirth. He explains the urgent need for reform in medical education and the major barriers standing in the way of innovative medical research. Throughout the conversation, Marty offers insightful reflections on where medicine has succeeded and where there’s still room to challenge historic practices and embrace new approaches.
We discuss:
The issue of groupthink and cognitive dissonance in science and medicine [2:30];
How a non-operative treatment for appendicitis sheds light on cognitive dissonance [7:00];
How cognitive dissonance and effort justification shape beliefs and actions [13:15];
How misguided peanut allergy recommendations created an epidemic [17:45];
The enduring impact of misinformation and fear-based messaging around hormone replacement therapy allegedly causing breast cancer [25:15];
The dangers of extreme skepticism and blind faith in science, and the importance of understanding uncertainty and probability [28:00];
The overuse of antibiotics and the rise of antibiotic resistant infections and poor gut health [33:45];
The potential correlations between early antibiotic use and chronic diseases [40:45];
The historical and evolving trends in childbirth and C-section rates [50:15];
Rethinking ovarian cancer: recent data challenging decades of medical practice and leading to new preventive measures [1:05:30];
Navigating uncertainty as a physician [1:19:30];
The urgent need for reform in medical education [1:21:45];
The major barriers to innovative medical research [1:27:30];
The dogmatic culture of academic medicine: why humility and challenging established norms are key for progress [1:38:15];
The major successes and ongoing challenges of modern medicine [1:51:00]; and
The Peter Attia Drive 
