TY - JOUR T1 - Bad Medicine: Clinical examination JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 31 LP - 31 DO - 10.3399/bjgp17X688693 VL - 67 IS - 654 AU - Des Spence Y1 - 2017/01/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/67/654/31.abstract N2 - I was taught medicine like it was a religion. Indeed there were many similarities. A hierarchy with different dress codes, venerated objects, its own language of incantations, and an unshakeable belief in the infallibility of it all. I would often look around at my classmates as they read their spell books and wondered if they too thought this was all just hocus-pocus. My sense of absurd wonderment was greatest when I was being instructed in the dark art of clinical examination. I tried hard to learn the steps and rituals but it was difficult, because it made less sense than the rules of Quidditch. And there was always some jumped-up SHO … ER -