Our Limitations

“A man’s got to know his limitations.” So ends the 1973 Dirty Harry movie, “Magnum Force.” The same is true of physicians; we have to know our limitations and we also have to know the limitations of our diagnostic tests.

We must never forget that patients come to consult a doctor, NOT a machine! Upon hearing that the Death Star is now the ultimate power source in the universe, Darth Vader responds, “Don’t be too proud of that technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force.” Physicians have become quite enamored of their diagnostic imaging. It was once true of CT; it is now true of MRI. Vader’s comments might be translated into modern medical parlance as, “Don’t be too reliant on your images and angiograms. They are insignificant compared to the utility of a targeted history and physical examination.”