Full Moon Friday the Thirteenth Summary and Analysis

Throughout the book, Gawande talks about the uncertainties that surgeons face. Some of those uncertainties have to do with the doctor's skills, or the patients' conditions, and some are so unknown as to even defy categorization, except for "Mystery."

Gawande discusses the role of superstition in medicine. Most doctors, he argues, are rational and cannot admit to such beliefs and notions. Doctors usually have a plausible explanation for every action.

Yet, Gawande finds himself the only doctor willing to do emergency room duty on a Friday the thirteenth, and other residents tease him about it. In addition to it being an unlucky date, the night also fell on a full moon and lunar eclipse. The one research study he found examining the association between Friday the 13th and unusual events found that hospital...