You want to ensure people can do it right 99 percent of time. When we have to fire one of our surgical trainees, it is never because they don't have the physical skills but because they don't have the moral skills - to practise and admit failure. Atul Gawande admitensurefailure share on social
If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, my patients will not even be postponed. Another surgeon would step in and take over. The reason to do research and writing is that it at least makes me feel not entirely replaceable. If I didn't write, I don't know if I would do surgery. Atul Gawande busfeelhit share on social
Our great struggle in medicine these days is not just with ignorance and uncertainty. It's also with complexity: how much you have to make sure you have in your head and think about. There are a thousand ways things can go wrong. Atul Gawande complexitydaygreat share on social
Most people are squeamish about saying how much they earn, but in medicine the situation seems especially fraught. Doctors aren't supposed to be in it for the money, and the more concerned a doctor seems to be about making money the more suspicious people become about the care being provided. Atul Gawande careconcerndoctor share on social
The damage that the human body can survive these days is as awesome as it is horrible: crushing, burning, bombing, a burst blood vessel in the brain, a ruptured colon, a massive heart attack, rampaging infection. These conditions had once been uniformly fatal. Atul Gawande attackawesomeblood share on social
Doctors quickly learn that how much they make has little to do with how good they are. It largely depends on how they handle the business side of their practice. Atul Gawande businessdependdoctor Change image and share on social
Providing health care is like building a house. The task requires experts, expensive equipment and materials, and a huge amount of coordination. Atul Gawande amountbuildcare Change image and share on social
When I do an operation, it's half a dozen people. When it goes beautifully, it's like a symphony, with everybody playing their part. Atul Gawande beautifullydozenhalf Change image and share on social
There are, in human affairs, two kinds of problems: those which are amenable to a technical solution and those which are not. Universal health-care coverage belongs to the first category: you can pick one of several possible solutions, pass a bill, and (allowing for some tinkering around the edges) it will happen. Atul Gawande affairallowamenable share on social