Meredith in “Out for Blood”

Meredith

[voice over] For decades, many doctors were convinced that bloodletting was harming more than it helped. But just as many were convinced that it was the only cure. Doctors, like most human beings, are risk-averse. We prefer the safety of what we know over the thrill of new innovations. Surgeons and doctors, as a general rule, like to know for sure that we are right before we make a move. And so, for us, change requires incontrovertible proof, which is not always easy to come by. It has been theorized that surgery itself is just an era that will pass. But that's a long way away. And in the meantime, there are eras within eras. We discover new science, we posit, prove new theories. And then we bang our heads against the wall, trying to convince ourselves to actually change our practices in line with what we know. Because the end of an era is easier said than done.