The great Sir William Osler made two statements to console us in times like these and we should heed their wisdom. The first is, “Absolute diagnoses are unsafe, and are made at the expense of the conscience.” The second is, “Probability is the rule of life—especially under the skin. Never make a positive diagnosis.” Both comments are especially pertinent in today’s clinical environment that demands levels of exactitude that border on the superhuman while we live in a world of probabilities. Maintaining some humility when confronting the complexities of medicine is a sound way to practice, as it will force you to constantly reevaluate the clinical scenario.
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