Fact-checking doesn't exist primarily because some of us are liars and cheats. It exists because writers will be writers, much as they may mean to be historians. Alice Dreger More Quotes by Alice Dreger More Quotes From Alice Dreger I feel like raising my hand and saying ‘ Can I tell my sex history, which involves a lot of pleasure before and during marriage, ’. Alice Dreger latest-headlines Paper babies are being handed out to EVERYONE. They have ALL HAD CONDOM FAILURE AND THE WHOLE CLASS IS PREGNANT. Alice Dreger latest-headlines Ironically, when I've asked my straight friends to join me in hanging a rainbow flag, they answer, 'But someone might think we're gay,' not realizing that is exactly the point. To be mistaken for the oppressed is to momentarily become the oppressed. Alice Dreger mefriendsrainbowgay According to my mother, there pretty much wasn't anything I wouldn't eat as a child. Not just try, but eat. I was even inclined to dig into stuff about which she expressed open disgust - lobster and other shellfish, and cheap Chinese food with pepper so hot it made your gums feel like a medieval dentist had been at them. Alice Dreger feelmotherhotfood I do work half time as a historian of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, and I started my career with work in the 19th century. Alice Dreger medicineworktimeschool I actually completely suck at being a bioethicist. What I do is history of medicine and patient advocacy. Patient advocacy is actually the opposite of bioethics, because bioethicists are the people who increasingly set up and justify the systems we patient advocates have to fight. Alice Dreger fightmedicinehistorypeople No matter how little we think anatomy should matter to one's social and political rights, surely we can't pretend biology doesn't matter in sports. Surely there's a reason we don't let adults play in the t-ball leagues, and a reason most women athletes want their own leagues. Alice Dreger thinkwomenpoliticalsports Doctors are human animals. They want to be loved, they are tribal, they instinctually favor stories over scientific evidence, they make mistakes, and even small gifts make them susceptible to being biased. Alice Dreger mistakeslovedsmallwant After I dropped out of college at the age of 19, I became a mortgage broker, and when I went back to school I thought about going into real estate law. Alice Dreger thoughtagelawschool A hospital may spend several million dollars separating a pair of conjoined twins even though that separation is likely to leave them worse off. Alice Dreger hospitalleaveseparationtwins Doctors are human animals. They want to be loved, they are tribal, they instinctually favor stories over scientific evidence, they make mistakes, and even small gifts make them susceptible to being biased. If we took doctors seriously as human animals, we might hurt them - and they might hurt us - a lot less. Alice Dreger mistakeslovedsmallhurt What we should care about is health - reduction of morbidity and mortality. Too often, we instead pay attention to whether something is 'normal.' A hospital may spend several million dollars separating a pair of conjoined twins, even though that separation is likely to leave them worse off. Alice Dreger hospitalcarehealthattention Using medicine in the service of cosmesis is generally bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for democracy. The only exceptions are when we know the intervention will actually reduce suffering, as with a primary cleft lip repair. Alice Dreger badservicedemocracysuffering After I dropped out of college at the age of 19, I became a mortgage broker, and when I went back to school I thought about going into real estate law. I probably would have made a lot more money and died of boredom by now. Alice Dreger moneyagelawschool If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not going to be able to teach in a way that actually matters. We're not going to be able to teach about sex, gender, race, religion, or violence. Alice Dreger gendertimesexreligion As a kid, I did some running but especially loved biking and swimming. I grew up on Long Island, and our mom took us all the time to the ocean, so I grew up doing open-water swimming in the Atlantic. Alice Dreger oceanmomtimelong You can't go into new life experiences without the understanding that yeah, you may fail, but knowing you might fail can't stop you from trying. Alice Dreger newyouunderstandinglife I don't know what has caused this reawakening in academia. Obama? The GOP's assaults on science and on patients? Jon Stewart? I'm not at all sure. I just know I don't feel nearly as alone in academia as I used to. I'm feeling increasingly surrounded by fellow Ph.D.'s and by M.D.'s who seem to be taking a lot of things personally. Alice Dreger alonefeelfeelingscience Want to be a well-paid bioethicist, with one, two, or even three university appointments? Just get yourself a two-piece navy polyester suit and follow these three simple rules: (1) Never name names. (2) Screw principles; just follow procedures. (3) Bury the money. Alice Dreger nameyourselfmoneysimple Perhaps it is because I'm a writer trained in history that I've always assumed I would make mistakes in my drafts. Historians know how faulty human memory can be. Alice Dreger mistakesmemoryknowhistory
