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Harriet A. Hall (born July 2, 1945) is a U.S. retired family physician, former
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signa ...
flight surgeon A flight surgeon is a military medical officer practicing in the clinical field of aviation medicine. Although the term "flight surgery" is considered improper by purists, it may occasionally be encountered. Flight surgeons are physicians ( MD ...
and
skeptic Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the ...
who writes about
alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...
and
quackery Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, k ...
for ''
Skeptic Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the ...
'' and ''
Skeptical Inquirer ''Skeptical Inquirer'' is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: ''The Magazine for Science and Reason''. Mission statement and goals Daniel Loxton, writing in 2 ...
''. She writes under the name The SkepDoc.


Career

Hall received her
B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
and
M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
from the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle ...
. She was only the second woman to do her internship in the Air Force and was the first female graduate of the Air Force family to practice residency at Eglin Air Force Base. Hall says she was a "passive skeptic" for quite some time, only reading the literature and attending the various meetings. She met
Wallace Sampson Wallace Sampson (March 29, 1930 – May 25, 2015), also known as Wally, was an American medical doctor and consumer advocate against alternative medicine and other fraud schemes.Antiscience Trends in the Rise of the 'Alternative Medicine' Moveme ...
at the
Skeptic's Toolbox The Skeptic's Toolbox is an annual four-day workshop devoted to scientific skepticism. It was formed by psychologist and now-retired University of Oregon professor Ray Hyman, has been held every August since 1992, and is sponsored by the Committe ...
workshop in Oregon. He convinced her to write an article for the ''
Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine The ''Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine'' is a discontinued peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health. It was established by Wallace Sampson (Stanford University) and Paul Kurtz (Co ...
'' (Interview from 16:08 to 33:25) testing so-called "
Vitamin O Liquid oxygen supplements are products that claim to add extra oxygen to the human body, most often through a chemical process in the digestive system, like the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide or magnesium peroxide. While the FDA describes these pr ...
" products she had seen advertised in the mail. She then began writing articles for ''
Skeptical Inquirer ''Skeptical Inquirer'' is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: ''The Magazine for Science and Reason''. Mission statement and goals Daniel Loxton, writing in 2 ...
''. When she spoke to Michael Shermer at
The Amazing Meeting The Amazing Meeting (TAM), stylized as The Amaz!ng Meeting, was an annual conference that focused on science, skepticism, and critical thinking; it was held for twelve years. The conference started in 2003 and was sponsored by the James Randi Educ ...
about the book ''The God Code'', he encouraged her to write a review of it for ''Skeptic'' magazine. She wrote other articles for that publication, and since late 2006 she has had a regular column in it titled ''The SkepDoc''. This is also the name of her web site. Before the Toolbox, "I had not done any writing... one thing led to another and now I'm on the faculty of the Skeptic's Toolbox." She has spoken at the Science-Based Medicine Conference and The Amazing Meeting 7, among other venues in 2009. She has been interviewed on podcasts such as ''The Reality Check,'' '' Skepticality'' and '' The Skeptic Zone''. (Interview from 46:00 to 50:25) In 2008 she published ''Women Aren't Supposed to Fly: The Memoirs of a Female Flight Surgeon'', an autobiography focusing on her experiences as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force (she retired as a full colonel). As a female physician, Air Force officer, pilot and flight surgeon she was a minority in several respects, and encountered prejudice. The title of the book refers to an incident after her first solo flight when an airport official told her, "Didn't anybody ever tell you women aren't supposed to fly?" Starting in the January 2010 issue, Hall had a regular 250-word column in
O, The Oprah Magazine ''O, The Oprah Magazine'', also known simply as ''O'', is an American monthly magazine founded by talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Hearst Communications. Overview It was first published on April 19, 2000. , its average paid circulation was ...
debunking common health myths. Her relationship with the magazine was rocky, and the column ended in the June 2010 issue. She has since said about this experience that "The editor who hired me was replaced by a less sympathetic one (...). They restricted me to a measly 200 words and wanted to tell me exactly what to write about and what to say. I couldn’t even recognize the final edited version as my writing." Hall is on the board and a founding member of the recently (2009) formed "Institute for Science in Medicine". In 2010 Hall was elected a Fellow of the
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), is a program within the US non-profit organization Center for Inquiry (CFI), which seeks to "prom ...
. On August 21, 2010 Hall was honored with an award recognizing her contributions in the
skeptical Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...
field, from The
IIG The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a US nonprofit organization that works to mitigate belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal, as well as to fight the influence of religion in government. History The Center for Inquiry was established in 199 ...
during its 10th Anniversary Gala. Hall also spoke at the 6th World Skeptic Congress in Berlin, "Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fairy Tale Science and Placebo Medicine". In 2015 she published a YouTube lecture series titled "Science Based Medicine", commissioned by the James Randi Educational Foundation. It is presented as a course consisting of 10 lectures regarding the differences between Science-Based and Evidence-Based Medicine, CAM,
Chiropractic Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudosc ...
, Acupuncture, Homeopathy,
Naturopathy Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturo ...
and Herbal Medicine,
Energy Medicine Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into a patient and effect positive results. Practitioners use a number of names including various synonyms for m ...
, Miscellaneous “Alternatives”, Pitfalls in Research, and Science-Based Medicine in the Media and Politics. Since 2018 Hall has published a regular column in ''Skeptical Inquirer'' called "Reality Is the Best Medicine".


Criticism of alternative medicine

Hall has been an outspoken critic of alternative medicine, often questioning its effectiveness. "If it were shown to be truly effective, it would be part of regular medicine." In her work she emphasizes the importance of following the scientific evidence for or against any remedy. When asked about the anti-cold remedy
Airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
she said, "There's more evidence for chicken soup than for Airborne. In the absence of any credible double-blind studies to support the claims for Airborne, I'll stick to hand washing." She has also criticized the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
for its use of
acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...
, saying "the idea that putting needles in somebody's ear is going to substitute for things like morphine is just ridiculous." She has publicly criticized the recommendations and products of Daniel G. Amen in an article at Quackwatch and elsewhere, saying "Amen's recommendations defy science, common sense and logic." She has also criticized many other proponents of alternative therapies, including
Andrew Weil Andrew Thomas Weil (, born June 8, 1942) is an American celebrity doctor who advocates for alternative medicine including the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Early life and education Early years Andrew Thomas Weil was born in Philadelphia on June 8 ...
. She is an advisor to Quackwatch and an Associate Editor of the ''
Science-Based Medicine ''Science-Based Medicine'' is a website and blog with articles covering issues in science and medicine, especially medical scams and practices. Founded in 2008, it is owned and operated by the New England Skeptical Society and run by Steven N ...
'' blog.


''Irreversible Damage'' book review

On June 15, 2021, Hall published a book review of ''
Irreversible Damage ''Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters'' is a 2020 book by Abigail Shrier, published by Regnery Publishing, which endorses the controversial concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD). ROGD is not recognized as ...
'' in ''Science-Based Medicine'', stating that the book "brings up some alarming facts that desperately need to be looked into", that the affirmative care model for gender dysphoria "is a mistake and a dereliction of duty", and that the current political climate has made scientific study of these matters nearly impossible. Within two days, the review was replaced with a retraction notice authored by Steven Novella and David Gorski. They stated that the health protocols for dealing with gender dysphoria in children were misrepresented and argued that an increase in gender dysphoria diagnoses can be explained without invoking a theory of social contagion, as well as stating that the science behind gender-affirming care indicates it improves mental health. Novella and Gorski emphasized that Hall is still an editor in good standing at ''Science-Based Medicine'', and praised her history of promoting good science. ''Science-Based Medicine'' also published a series of articles from doctors specialising in LGBTQ+ health care. Journalist
Jesse Singal Jesse Singal is an American journalist. He has written for publications including ''New York'' magazine, ''The New York Times'' and ''The Atlantic''. Singal also publishes a newsletter on Substack and hosts a podcast, ''Blocked and Reported'', ...
criticized Novella and Gorski's retraction of Hall's original article and the factual accuracy of the follow-up articles. Hall's review was republished at Skeptic.com, and an updated version that responds to the critiques has been published on her personal website.


Personal life

Hall resides in Puyallup, Washington, with her husband Kirk (who is also retired from the Air Force). She has two grown daughters.


Selected publications

Highlights and publications mentioned in this article: * * * * * * * * * *


References


External links

*
Tooth Fairy Science and Other Pitfalls: Applying Rigorous Science to Messy Medicine, Part 1

Tooth Fairy Science and Other Pitfalls: Applying Rigorous Science to Messy Medicine, Part 2

Science Based Medicine Lecture Series – 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Harriet 1945 births Living people American medical writers American science writers American women bloggers American bloggers American skeptics Critics of alternative medicine Female officers of the United States Air Force 20th-century American physicians People from Puyallup, Washington Writers from Tacoma, Washington University of Washington School of Medicine alumni Place of birth missing (living people) Military personnel from St. Louis Physicians from Washington (state) American women non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American women physicians 20th-century American women writers United States Air Force colonels 21st-century American women writers