--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a doctor has worked through the…" description: "\"“If a doctor has worked through the problem well, there’s a very good chance that one of these possible diagnoses will be right. The rest though, by de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/lisa-sanders-48518_definition-wrong_if-a-doctor-has-worked-through-the-probl_1990207.jpg" --- # If a doctor has worked through the problem well, there’s a… ![“If a doctor has worked through the problem well, there’s a very good chance that one of these possible diagnoses will be right. The rest though, by definition, will be wrong. We are regularly wrong in the pursuit of being right. … The question we are taught to ask ourselves is, if it isn’t that…” quote by Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/lisa-sanders-48518_definition-wrong_if-a-doctor-has-worked-through-the-probl_1990207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/lisa-sanders-48518_definition-wrong_if-a-doctor-has-worked-through-the-probl_1990207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/lisa-sanders-48518_definition-wrong_if-a-doctor-has-worked-through-the-probl_1990207.jpg) > ““If a doctor has worked through the problem well, there’s a very good chance that one of these possible diagnoses will be right. The rest though, by definition, will be wrong. We are regularly wrong in the pursuit of being right. … The question we are taught to ask ourselves is, if it isn’t that, what else could it be?”” [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Medical reasoning involves eliminating wrong possibilities to find the correct diagnosis. **In simple terms:** Rule out errors to discover truth. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and consider alternatives. Themes diagnosis uncertainty critical thinking Mood analytical cautious Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - clinical practice - medical education - patient consultations Key Concepts differential diagnosis probabilistic reasoning Questions to Reflect On - How do you challenge your first impression? - What steps ensure thorough evaluation? A Different Perspective Overreliance on initial hypotheses can blind you to better answers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Definition Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-wrong-2631953/) [Diagnoses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diagnoses-3012402/) [Diagnoses Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diagnoses-right-3446598/) [Possible Diagnoses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-diagnoses-3446599/) [Wrong Regularly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-regularly-3446600/) ## Related quotes > [“One or two steps alone do not guarantee the evidence of your success unless you have your own peculiar definition for success. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/one-or-two-steps-alone-do-not-guarantee-the-evidence-of-your-success/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Any person who wants to govern the world is by definition the wrong person to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/any-person-who-wants-to-govern-the-world-is-by-definition-the-wrong/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [As a Christian Scientist, I don't go to doctors and get diagnoses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/as-a-christian-scientist-i-don-t-go-to-doctors-and-get-diagnoses/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Genius not only diagnoses the situation but supplies the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/genius-not-only-diagnoses-the-situation-but-supplies-the-answers/) [Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/) > [“But why bother with diagnoses at all, if a diagnosis is but a restatement of the problem?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-nelson/but-why-bother-with-diagnoses-at-all-if-a-diagnosis-is-but-a/) [Maggie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-nelson/) ## More by Lisa Sanders > [“The basic sciences of anatomy, physiology, biology, and chemistry are linked to a patient at the bedside through very specific stories that doctors learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/the-basic-sciences-of-anatomy-physiology-biology-and-chemistry-are/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) > [A lot of the appeal of internal medicine is Sherlockian—solving the case from the clues. We are detectives; we revel in the process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/a-lot-of-the-appeal-of-internal-medicine-is-sherlockian-solving-the/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) > [“But then there are other cases… Cases in which the narrative of disease strays off the expected path, where the usual suspects all seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/but-then-there-are-other-cases-cases-in-which-the-narrative-of/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) > [In medicine, uncertainty is the water we swim in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/in-medicine-uncertainty-is-the-water-we-swim-in/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) > [Sandeep Jauhar is a compelling storyteller, and Doctored gives us a fantastic tour through the seedy underworld of American medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/sandeep-jauhar-is-a-compelling-storyteller-and-doctored-gives-us-a/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) > [“..I don't count Jennifer among my mistakes. She had a severe infection and precious little reserve. Nevertheless, I think of her often. Those minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/i-don-t-count-jennifer-among-my-mistakes-she-had-a-severe-infection/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) > [“Much of the education doctors get in their four years of medical school and subsequent years of apprenticeship training is focused on teaching this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-sanders/much-of-the-education-doctors-get-in-their-four-years-of-medical/) [Lisa Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) [Explore all 8 Lisa Sanders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-sanders/) ## More Definition Wrong quotes > [“One or two steps alone do not guarantee the evidence of your success unless you have your own peculiar definition for success. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/one-or-two-steps-alone-do-not-guarantee-the-evidence-of-your-success/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Any person who wants to govern the world is by definition the wrong person to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/any-person-who-wants-to-govern-the-world-is-by-definition-the-wrong/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) [Browse all 3 Definition Wrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-wrong-2631953/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If a doctor has worked through the problem well, there’s a very good chance that one of these possible diagnoses will be right. The rest though, by definition, will be wrong. 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