Surgeons and their mindset

Recently I was on a panel discussing management of cancer rectum. And I was commenting on surgeon's preference for CT scans to MRI as most surgeons find reading MRI an arduous task. The Moderator (a surgeon himself) gently suggested that i need to get rid of my mental block and start reading / prescribing MRI wherever necessary. So true.

Most of us, surgeons have mental blocks for many things. We tend to resist change. We all continue to follow our own protocols and methodologies which may not always be the most scientific ones. We follow what our teachers followed and taught us. our teachers have also been resistant to change. And so are we. I desist when my registrar suggests me to pull out a Ryle's tube on day one because the literature says so. I do not want to take a chance. Maybe i'll chide my registrar and finally discourage him from giving any progressive suggestions. Arrogance.

I should change. Should work on my mindset from time to time. For the good of the patient.