Another doctor discovers acupuncture!

In an article which reviews his new book The Uncertain Art, Dr. Nuland makes a point which resonated with me regarding a philosophical approach to medicine; he invites doctors ‘to become comfortable with uncertainty’. Though it sounded quite esoteric, it made me wonder if he dabbled in Eastern philosophy at one point? In a way, he may be right, in order for docs to embrace the mysterious ways of healing and embrace their identity as a healer, a suspension in particular type of thinking may be required…

Doctors, he insists, have to be more than technicians. They should be, first of all, humanists, intuitionists, appreciative of each patient’s individuality and particular situation, practitioners of a quirky, unpredictable, uncertain art. True healers understand this. “To become comfortable with uncertainty,” Dr. Nuland writes, “is one of the primary goals in the training of a physician.”

He also discusses his discovery of the power of acupuncture when he witnessed surgery conducted without anesthesia. Though this news has been out since Bill Moyers did his report on Chinese medicine more than 10 years ago, I am always happy to see another doctor discover the benefits of TCM.