Professor Jillian Chown studies how physicians make choices that may shape patient outcomes for the rest of the patients’ lives. What she finds is that doctors make core decisions–like whether a baby will be born by C-Section–to a significant degree through the influence of the peers within whom they recently speak. This effect is greater for generalists than for specialists. At the same time, the performance of superstar physicians on the organizational practices of their clinics may persist for decades. Either way, the choices made by your doctor may be deeply dependent on the environment in which the doctor works.