MD Whistleblower

Doctors do not know everything.    We make mistakes and mistakes in judgment.  Sometimes we make the mistake of speaking when we should keep silent.  At times, patients ask us questions that we can’t or shouldn’t answer; and yet we do.  It shouldn’t be our objective to force certainty into an issue which is amorphous and murky.  Here’s a response that I recommend in situations where certainty is elusive. “I don’t know.” I saw a patient for the first time when he was sent to me for a colonoscopy.  Prior to the procedure, we interviewed him to be acquainted with his medical history.  We are always particularly interested in the cardiac and pulmonary history, as these conditions impact on the risk of the procedures and the anesthesia.   This patient had a lung resection.   He related the details which left my staff and me aghast. “The doctors told me that I had cancer and would be dead in 3 months.” Of co...

We are in the Age of Spin as the presidential campaigns percolate along.  So much fun to watch!  It’s a performance in doublespeak, deflection and distraction that is so obvious, that even a person who knows no English can spot it.  I used to get exasperated when I would watch a politician dodge the question posed, but now I view it as pure entertainment.   I’m glad I made this transition, particularly since I live in Ohio where we will see more spinning than anywhere else. Spinning is an old profession. To those who are unschooled in spinning recognition, keep your ear out for these phrases which are classic spin initiators. ‘…what I will say…’ ‘The question we should be asking…’ ‘I have always said…’ Let me illustrate. Reporter:  Do you support the president’s Iran deal? Spinner:     The question we should be asking is why are we caving to the Ayatollahs? Reporter:  Do you support a path to citizens...

We all should know the difference between a slogan and real substance.   One of these has size and shape while the other is just a shadow.   Why then, is the slogan so powerful? A slogan is one of the weapons wielded by the Guardians of Political Correctness.  They will point toward the slogan du jour, and then, with cameras rolling, demand to know if you support it.  Even a moment’s hesitancy will be taken as weakness.   Expect to see your waffling go viral for all to see, edited down and sans context.  Politicians Advised to Avoid Waffles. During a presidential election, this practice is omnipresent.  Mr. Bush, do you support fair trade ? Mrs. Clinton, is your immigration policy to give amnesty to all illegal aliens? Mr. Cruz, do you believe in the rule of law ? These questions cannot be adequately answered with a reflexive yes or no.   The slogans contained within these 'gotcha' questions point to compl...

About a week before I write this, I met a man for the first time.  Though it is unlikely that I will see him again, it is unlikely that I will forget him. This was a side trip for us, as we meandered for a weekend through the beauty and nostalgia of Ohio.  Once you find yourself about an hour south of Cleveland, you are in a Land of Barns, where cornfields and cattle punctuate the countryside.  There are miles and miles of open roads unblemished by Starbucks, CVS or Big Box Retail.  Is the air truly fresher or does it just seem that way? On the Open Road in Ohio We drove out to meet this man to examine his wares.  The GPS faithfully led us to the desired location, but we assumed that we were misled as there was no business sign to alert customers like us.  Not quite the marketing strategy we know from city life where advertisements will soon appear on toilet paper.   He has an unusual profession, which I will not identify, as this m...

While we have all heard the adage, any publicity is good publicity, I don’t agree.   See if you agree that the subjects of the following hypothetical headlines would have preferred anonymity. Local Surgeon Loses Scalpel – in Patient’s Abdomen Teacher Pursues New Career as Porn Star Restaurant Owner Claims Rats are Really Pets Planned Parenthood is in the news.  Several videos, surreptitiously taken, have been released showing discussions between Planned Parenthood personnel and folks who were pretending to be interested in procuring fetal parts.  It is illegal under federal law for Planned Parenthood to make a profit selling fetal parts.  More fact gathering will be necessary to determine if a legal line has been violated.  Legalities aside, the videos have generated revulsion across the ideological spectrum by how unseemly and casual the Planned Parenthood folks discussed a subject with huge ethical and legal ramifications.  The public he...

In medicine and beyond, folks just want stuff to be true.  Sometimes, we believe stuff that is unproven, but might be true.  We doctors recommend such treatments to patients every day.  On other occasions, a benefit of a drug or food item is extrapolated way beyond the data.  For example, if Nexium is known to be effective against stomach ulcers, then why not use it for patients with stomach aches who are ulcer-free?  There’s not a gastroenterologist on the planet that hasn’t engaged in this therapeutic mission creep.  More interestingly, folks often persist in beliefs that have been disproven.  The notion, for example, that certain vaccinations can cause autism has been thoroughly debunked by rigorous scientific study, yet there remain diehards who defy the science.  Curiously, many unproven or disproven practices have gained a fair measure of street cred in the Court of Political Correctness.  Keeping a gluten-free diet today is downri...

Profiling in this country is highly discouraged and is illegal in many circumstances.  Anti-profilers decry this technique which, they argue, unfairly targets innocent individuals violating their rights.  Our beloved Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is charged not to use profiling as a screening tool.  Personally, I object to this prohibtion.  While an individual’s rights are important, it must be weighed against the rights of the community.  Our cherished rights to free speech and assembly are not absolute. I have flown on El Al airlines, whose personnel actively profile in an effort to keep its passengers safe.  Anyone who has been a passenger on this airline will likely agree with me that he has never felt safer on an airplane.  I have a right not be blown up, and if profiling further minimizes this risk, then call me a fan. Last year, my mother, who appears as threatening as a school librarian, was patted down twice when she t...