[SkyPuncher]

> i always kind of wonder when i see a medical doctor explaining statistics to a general audience: do they really have this right?

My wife is in her last year of medical school. I wonder the same question frequently when talking with her peers and seniors. They certainly get taught the basics of interpreting statistics, but I don't really see the "average" doc discussing things in a critical manner.

The system seems deeply focused on the results without critically thinking about the context and appropriateness of the studies.

[rscho]

I can answer that clearly for you. 99+% of docs don't have the slightest clue about how statistics are done, or even about what they mean (am MD with special interest in stats).