TY - JOUR T1 - Viewpoint: Embracing uncertainty JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 215 LP - 215 DO - 10.3399/bjgp17X690629 VL - 67 IS - 658 AU - Alexander Gillies Y1 - 2017/05/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/67/658/215.abstract N2 - Mrs Smith has come back to see me with a constellation of symptoms that, despite two referrals, we are no further forward to understanding. Her examination, bloods, and imaging are normal. She has no past history, rarely consults, and isn’t anxious. I call her in with trepidation, secretly hoping she will tell me the symptoms have vanished.A career in general practice will offer plenty of uncertainty. Our accessibility means disease is seen earlier, and therefore symptoms may be vaguer. Being generalists we will encounter ‘unknown unknowns’ more often than our specialist colleagues and feel vulnerable about our knowledge. Then to make it really difficult, many symptoms are medically unexplained.As medical science explains more, the unexplained becomes less satisfyingly acceptable, to doctor and patient.Doctors in training often … ER -