In this video, Mikhail Varshavski, DO, who goes by "Dr. Mike," talks about medicine's darkest hours.
Following is a partial transcript of the video (note that errors are possible):
Varshavski: As a practicing physician, I frequently speak with patients and viewers who are hesitant to take medical advice. They don't trust doctors, hospitals, or the healthcare system in general. They claim doctors are sheep. They think pharmaceutical companies are only interested in money. They believe the government is not interested in bodily autonomy. And in some cases, to some degree, they may be correct.
One area where I think we definitely need to do better is transparency, especially in owning up to our mistakes. Not just as a form of apology, but also to ensure that we're learning from them so they are not repeated. From hiding cures of preventable diseases to giving children polio, to attempting to erase entire racial groups through lies and deceit. I'm a doctor, I believe in science, but I also believe in the truth, which includes acknowledging where medicine has made catastrophic mistakes.
Have you ever heard of syphilis? There's a good chance you have, and there's a better chance that if you were to ever get it, you'd be able to treat it right away with a dose of penicillin available at any pharmacy with a prescription. And if you treat it early, it's really not that big of a deal.
