Have you ever heard about a Swiss doctor named Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus? I had not, until I read Dr. Varon’s piece. Well he was someone that was shaking up medicine 500 years ago, demanding doctors “look at the patient first and books second”?
I think our IMA docs carry that same rebel spirit today when they say patients before protocols.
Do you know any other early rebels in medicine that inspire you?
“Reading about Paracelsus reminds me why patient-first rebels are still so vital today. He fought to put real people ahead of rigid dogma.
Exactly what we’re trying to do with our Restoring Trust project. We’re building a free, ethical doctor network so finding clinicians who truly listen (and question outdated ‘rules’) is finally easy. If you believe modern medicine needs more Paracelsus-style courage, please jump in and help us make this network a reality:
My recent visit to my GP for my annual check up left me disappointed and disillusioned once again. I would have loved to hear “tell me more” when I gave her a short list of my (slightly unusual for me) symptoms. I had thought there might be more curiosity around the blood tests I requested but she just went ahead and added them to the regular annual list. When the results came back all within the ‘normal’ range I questioned one of them - the homocysteine test recommended by Dr Patrick Holford. My level was 10 and he recommends being 7 or lower. My GP said my result was ‘normal’, I disagreed but, again, there was no curiosity around my statement. I would have thought she might at least have asked with a view to learning something, but no! Once again, it’s up to me to take my health in my own hands.
