* Biomedical reductionism: A focus on the biological aspects of disease, often neglecting social, cultural, and psychological factors. This can lead to a de-emphasis on the patient's lived experience and a narrow understanding of health and illness.
* Biopower and control: The training process itself reinforces the power dynamics inherent in the biomedical model, shaping doctors to view themselves as experts who control the patient's body and treatment.
* Lack of cultural competence: A deficit in understanding and addressing the diverse cultural beliefs and practices related to health and illness in different populations. This can lead to misdiagnosis, ineffective treatment, and unequal healthcare access.
* Emphasis on technological solutions: Over-reliance on technology and pharmaceuticals, sometimes at the expense of other forms of intervention, like patient education and lifestyle changes.
Critical anthropologists highlight how this training process contributes to social inequalities in healthcare and reinforces a specific worldview about health and illness that may not be universally applicable or beneficial. They argue that it often marginalizes other forms of knowledge and practice surrounding health, such as traditional or alternative medicine.