In this Zelenko Grand Rounds, Dr. Lynn Fynn and Dr. Richard Amerling expose how modern medicine has been corrupted by pharmaceutical influence, flawed guidelines, and the abandonment of real science. From the dangers of statins and mRNA vaccines to the rise of overmedication and immune dysfunction, they call for a return to critical thinking, ethical care, and patient-first medicine.

Modern medicine is in crisis. What was once built on observation, ethics, and real science has been hijacked by protocols, pharma-driven guidelines, and profit motives. In this powerful Zelenko Grand Rounds session, Dr. Lynn Fynn and Dr. Richard Amerling expose the deep fractures in today’s healthcare model—and offer a path forward.

Guidelines Replacing Medical Judgment

Dr. Amerling opened with a stark example from his specialty, nephrology. In the early 2000s, industry-funded “guidelines” dictated how doctors should treat anemia in kidney patients using erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs). These guidelines promoted high dosing—despite data showing increased death rates in those receiving aggressive treatment. Why? Because Amgen and Ortho Biotech had a product to sell.

These weren’t isolated mistakes. Guidelines became tools of enforcement. Physicians who questioned them risked losing their licenses. Dr. Amerling described this as the rise of “vending machine medicine,” where creativity and individualized care are replaced by algorithms and flowcharts.

The Death of Critical Thinking in Medical Education

Dr. Fynn highlighted the slow erasure of critical thought from medical training. Today’s schools often prioritize students who won’t question the system. Basic science is rushed, independent thinking is discouraged, and the curriculum is molded to serve the system—not the patient. As she put it: “They want box-checkers, not investigators.”

The COVID Vaccine Debacle

A major focus of the discussion was the handling of COVID—particularly the push to vaccinate pregnant women with mRNA shots. Dr. Fynn scrutinized the lack of safety data behind this recommendation and the absurdity of calling it “evidence-based.” She emphasized that inflammatory conditions like pregnancy should never be paired with experimental, inflammatory injections.

Dr. Amerling added that these recommendations are driven not by science, but by bureaucratic decree. Placebo-controlled studies for vaccines are almost never done—or worse, manipulated to erase harm and exaggerate benefit.

RSV and the Rise of Post-Vaccine Illness

The conversation shifted to the RSV vaccine. A virus that rarely causes serious harm in adults was suddenly being used to justify another mRNA shot. Why now? Dr. Fynn believes immune system dysregulation from the COVID shots made people more vulnerable—manufacturing the need for more pharmaceutical “solutions.”

She pointed to shocking data: in a 13,000-person RSV vaccine trial, over 10,000 reported adverse effects in just seven days. But regulators only followed patients for a week. What would the real picture look like at one year?

HIV, AIDS, and AZT — The First Medical Betrayal?

For Dr. Fynn, the pattern of corruption began long before COVID. She described her early skepticism of the HIV-AIDS narrative, and the tragic story of AZT—a toxic chemotherapy drug repurposed for HIV that likely did more harm than good. This mirrored the more recent playbook: suppress safer treatments, exaggerate risks, and rush dangerous drugs to market.

Statins, Alzheimer’s, and the Cholesterol Myth

Cholesterol—long vilified as the villain behind heart disease—was another major target. Dr. Amerling explained how statins were approved using surrogate endpoints (like lowering LDL), not meaningful health outcomes. Real data shows these drugs offer little to no mortality benefit, may increase the risk of dementia and heart failure, and are based on a flawed hypothesis.

Worse, the rise in statin use has paralleled an increase in neurological diseases—prompting the FDA to fast-track questionable Alzheimer’s drugs like Aduhelm. Dr. Fynn noted one such drug caused brain swelling or bleeding in over 30% of patients, yet was still approved.

The Real Epidemic: Overmedication

One of the session’s most striking messages was this: modern medicine may now be the leading cause of death.

Patients are prescribed endless layers of drugs—often to treat the side effects of previous prescriptions. Doctors no longer investigate root causes. Instead, they treat lab numbers. And with each new guideline, pharma gets richer while patients get sicker.

Deprescribing and the GoldCare Model

Dr. Fynn praised GoldCare for embracing a “deprescribing” philosophy—reviewing patients’ entire medical histories, analyzing their labs, and working to wean them off unnecessary medications. “Treat the person, not the symptom,” she said. “Be a scientist. Be a detective. Go line by line.”

A Final Word on Science

As the conversation closed, Dr. Amerling reminded everyone: “Medicine worked just fine before pharma hijacked it.” The solution? Return to real science. Restore the doctor-patient relationship. Question the guidelines. Question the evidence. And always ask: who benefits?