09/10/2021
Dr. Jeffrey Dietzenbach, an Iowa Clinic general surgeon, wrote the following post last week and his message is too good not to share.
"COVID observations from a general surgeon…
Full disclosure: this is my first Facebook post ever, I hope I’m doing this right! Also, I am not an expert on COVID-19 or infectious disease.
This pandemic has been long, difficult, polarizing, historical, exasperating, and confusing. I can complain about it… but not that much. I have had no loved ones or close friends who have become extremely sick or died from this virus. I personally have not contracted this virus. As a general surgeon, the only care I have had to administer to a COVID-positive patient is the occasional appendectomy or gallbladder removal. I’ve been lucky enough to not have to spend countless hours in the ICU managing ventilators and medical care. Those healthcare providers are the real heroes.
One thing that has really perplexed me throughout this whole pandemic, though, is the lack of humility. Namely, the lack of humility when it comes to expert opinion.
I like to travel. Do I get on the tarmac and inspect the mechanics of the plane or discuss the flight plan with the pilot or tower? Nope. I’m not an expert in that. I have the humility and faith that those people are experts and will get me where I need to be safely.
I like a nice yard. Do I tell my lawn care company how much nitrogen and weed-control to use? Nope. I don’t have the time to devote to learn about that. I’ll leave it up to the lawn care expert.
I hope I never get sued. Would I defend myself in court with a total lack of legal knowledge? Nope. I’ll leave that up to the legal experts.
When my car needs to be fixed, do I tell the mechanic how to repair it? Nope. I know nothing about auto repair.
Do I walk around talking about COVID-19 and vaccinations and posting constantly about it? Nope, I’m not an infectious disease doctor or a pulmonologist/critical care doctor.
I get it. Frustration about closing schools and businesses, social distancing, limiting travel, using masks, etc. is understandable. The benefit and philosophy behind some of these things are not black and white. The thing I don’t understand is this distrust of expert healthcare providers and lack of humility.
Biostatistics is not easy.
True research (not just looking through Google and social media) and reviewing data and studies and articles is not easy.
Believe me, as a General Surgery Program Director, we hold six journal clubs a year reviewing the most recent surgical literature. I have the humility to know that I am not a statistician and by no means an expert in this field.
You can find an “expert” on COVID-19 anywhere. Online, at work, at the dinner table, on MSN or Fox News, and especially on social media. I find it interesting that there are lots and lots of infectious disease specialists and pulmonologists across this planet and I don’t recall any of them suggesting anything that was counter to the most recent accepted best practices, based on the most updated information we had at that moment in time.
Yes, things change. The virus changes, data and statistics change, discoveries change and new information emerges. One thing that doesn’t change is the expertise of the scientists, infectious disease doctors and pulmonologist. I’m a doctor and I think I’m a pretty good one (one could even say an “expert” at surgery), but when it comes to my kids' health, I’m going to follow my pediatrician’s recommendations. When it comes to a vaccine, I’m going to follow the generally accepted recommendations by the EXPERTS.
And…when I start to see brown spot on my lawn, I’m calling my lawn care guy.
Ask yourself how many times you put your life at risk by humbly and faithfully putting your trust in a person. Eating at a restaurant, walking over a grate on the sidewalk, taking an Uber, or for God’s sake going on a carnival ride at the Iowa State Fair! This doesn’t make you a “sheeple”. This happens all the time, every day.
All I’m asking for is a little humility and trust, not in me or this post, but in experts."
