• Low blood pressure is considered a sign of health in the United States, but a sign of sickness in Germany
• Hysterectomies are performed infrequently in France, but is one of the most common major operations in the United States
• American doctors significantly perform more cardiac bypass operations per capita than do English doctors
• American doctors are more likely to be aggressive with their approach than their British colleages.  Americans are likely to treat until the treatment is shown to be harmful, while the British tend to wait until the treatment has been shown to be beneficial.  (All from Medicine and Culture by Lynn Payer)

   And yet, the people who live in America, England, Germany, and France have equivalent life expectancy rates, meaning that even some widely divergent medical treatments don't significantly alter the course of disease.  It appears that there is a wide margin for error.  Our systems are actually pretty resilient. 

   So next time you hear your doctors arguing, don't fret right away.  They might both be right, after all.