So, you want to be a doctor? Try blind tasting

Abstract

ABSTRACT Blind wine tasting and differential diagnoses of human illness rely on both sensory examination and an existing knowledge base in order to deduce a specific wine varietal and human disease, respectively. Although knowledge is not directly transferable across these disciplines, they utilize similar deductive and perceptual processes. In order to identify an unknown wine, one must recognize the visual, aromatic, and textural components of the wine, as well as draw upon one’s knowledge of which varietals, vintages, and locations correspond to one’s perception. Similarly, patients may present with non-specific symptoms (e.g. cough, fever, headache, etc.), and physicians often do not know the diagnosis before entering the exam room. It is a doctor’s job to draw upon a knowledge of disease presentation and to interact with the patient to deduce the cause of their symptoms. In a clinical exam, physicians rely on their senses of touch, hearing, and sight to narrow down the possible list of diseases. For pre-medical and medical students, blind wine tastings are a chance to practice deduction and develop an approach to clinical reasoning.