If I've operated on 8,000 brain tumours, if 7,999 patients…
“If I've operated on 8,000 brain tumours, if 7,999 patients were satisfied, if I'd done the right thing, if I have funded research like I have, if I've raised millions of dollars like I have, and yet there was one patient out there who was unhappy, I think it's a price that you pay. The good would overcome that one bit of bad.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Even after many successes, a single negative outcome can feel like a heavy burden, but overall good outweighs it.
In simple terms: One bad case doesn't erase many good ones.
Key Takeaway
Accept that occasional failure is inevitable.
Themes
responsibility
ethics
medicine
resilience
Mood
reflective
determined
Type
ethical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- clinical practice
- patient communication
- research funding
Key Concepts
patient care
risk tolerance
professional accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal pride with patient disappointment?
- What systems can reduce rare negative outcomes?
A Different Perspective
Success does not guarantee universal satisfaction.