94 years ago—on May 17, 1927—President Calvin Coolidge gave a speech to the American Medical Association, in which he reinforced the value of open-mindedness in medicine:
“If there is any one thing which the progress of science has taught us, it is the necessity of an open mind. Without this attitude, very little advance could be made. Truth must always be able to demonstrate itself. But when it has been demonstrated, in whatsoever direction it may lead, it ought to be followed. The remarkable ability of America to adopt this policy has been one of the leading factors in its rise to power. When a principle has been demonstrated, the American people have not hesitated to adopt it and put it into practice. Being free from the unwarranted impediments of custom and caste, we have been able to accept whole-heartedly the results of research and investigation and the benefits of discovery and invention.
Do you think his sentiment, nearly a century old, has relevance today?
Read the full text of this speech, courtesy of the Library of Congress------------------------------
Stephanie Weiner
Director, Digital Strategy & Engagement
Association of American Medical Colleges
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