What are we actually doing with scientific studies and how we can trust their results?

Are only verifiable statements true?

What is line of demarcation between science and pseudoscience?

Do the theories we hold affect how we interpret data?

How do we take data from the small number of patients in clinical studies and generalize them to all patients with the same condition?

How many of us have looked at studies and asked ourselves of the validity of the post hoc analysis and if it was adjusted for multiplicity?

Much more humbling is the notion that we have not and frankly cannot.

The fundamental issue with any scientific endeavor is how can we make universal generalizations from particular experimental data.

Unfortunately, these topics are not given a moment’s notice in most medical school curricula.