Uncertainty in Medicine: Through Thick and Thin

The Nocturnists

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Uncertainty in Medicine: Through Thick and Thin

After a routine knee replacement triggers a mysterious illness, Dana and her steadfast primary care doctor embark on a year-long search for answers, revealing the emotional toll of medical uncertainty

The Nocturnists

and

Alexa Miller

Apr 17, 2025

Stylized illustration of a person sitting at the edge of a glowing, circular pool-like form, gazing into their own reflection. The reflection appears slightly distorted and rippled, with the figure shown upside down within the sphere. The background is awash in textured blue tones, creating a dreamy and introspective atmosphere. — Illustration by Eleni Debo

Hi friends,

Today on The Nocturnists: Uncertainty in Medicine, we explore diagnostic uncertainty, the kind that leaves patients stuck, and doctors frustrated.

We begin with Dana, a middle school teacher who underwent a routine knee replacement… and never recovered. Instead, she found herself trapped in a medical mystery, growing sicker by the day, with no clear diagnosis and no one willing to believe her. Except one doctor.

Then we zoom out to rural Maine, where the overwhelming uncertainty of outpatient primary care is quietly driving young doctors away from careers in the field. But one residency program noticed and made a deceptively simple change. The result? More doctors staying in primary care, and more patients getting the kind of care Dana was lucky to have.

This episode is about staying with people through the unknown. It’s about trust, time, and the power of saying “I don’t know… but I’m still here.”

Listen Now

Our best,
Emily and The Nocturnists Team

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Join Emily and Alexa in exploring Uncertainty

Each month, the ABIM Foundation’s Trust Conversations explore both the challenges and opportunities inherent in establishing trust within health care settings. Join us for their next live event "Managing Uncertainty: A Path to Better Patient Care” on Monday, May 5, 2025 from 1:30-2:30PM ET.

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