The Being Less Wrong Podcast

🧙‍♂️ The Three Doctors: Medicine, Mortality, and Meaning


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Ahmad Kathrada's Substack post, "The Tale of the Three Doctors," uses the Harry Potter fable of the three brothers to illustrate different approaches to end-of-life care in modern medicine. The author describes three types of doctors: one who aggressively fights death with all available technology, another who struggles to let go and prolongs life at any cost, and a third who focuses on quality of life, prevention, and compassionate care until the end. Kathrada argues for a shift towards the wisdom of the third doctor, emphasizing patient-centered care, dignity, and acknowledging the inevitability of death. Referencing studies on aggressive end-of-life care and the potential for preventative medicine, the piece advocates for a more balanced approach that prioritizes a good life to the very end, rather than solely focusing on extending it.



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The Being Less Wrong PodcastBy Ahmad Ismat Kathrada