MD Whistleblower

  The Dems were all nervous Back in October. The Red Wave was coming! Would their blue reign be over? The tables had turned, After November, This midterm result Will be long remembered.   Deniers fell short, One by one, And the public ensured That democracy won.   With the House barely red, And the Senate still blue, Might we move beyond ‘I win so you lose’?   The last 2 guys standing Were Raphael and Herschel. We were finally spared Their endless commercials.   On his own time, Trump did announce, While a new special counsel Is ready to pounce.   Lurking in waiting, A stealth praying mantis, Eyeing his prey Is Ron DeSantis.   Biden is 80 Is he the Dem’s best shot? If he steps aside, Who else have they got?   Wishing you all, Good health and good cheer, And prayers to enjoy, A much better year.            

I presume that most of us are hostile to hate speech, misinformation and disinformation.  Politicians and others want social media to be scrubbed of all nefarious postings.  Twitter is most recently in the crosshairs on this issue after Elon Musk assumed ownership of the company.  They still haven’t settled on a moderation policy.  Social media and other information sources have been accused of radicalizing Americans, fostering hate, undermining our elections, providing a forum for bullies and predators, promoting division and coarsening our national discourse.  One man’s cleansing of disinformation is another man’s censorship. There is some speech that all reasonable people would agree should be banned, such as incitement to violence or prurient matter that children can access.   I challenge those who advocate against publishing hate speech, misinformation or disinformation to offer precise definitions of these categories.   Trust me, this is no...

In a  prior post as a teaser, I promised to prove that the medical profession agreed with me that the physical examination is not a critical component of patient care.  In my medical training days, such a remark would have been considered heresy and the sinner would have found himself in a stockade in the public square.   Proof that the physical examination in many cases is superfluous is the explosion of telemedicine.  The volume of these virtual office visits is rising by the month.   If the physical examination was so critical and indispensable, then telemedicine could not operate successfully.  But it is and it threatens to make traditional doctors' offices like mine quaint, if not obsolete.   I anticipate that in the next 10 to 15 years that most patients will be seeing physicians or other medical professionals in digital arenas, not face to face in traditional offices.    By then, I may have gracefully exited the...

Doctors make mistakes.  There, I’ve said it.  More than having said it, I wrote it.  This confession has now been memorialized in cyberspace, where no piece of data can ever be truly deleted.  We have all seen how seemingly erased data has been resurrected by forensic experts to the horror and dismay of the eraser wannabees. Doctors work on seriously ill patients.  They do their best to help heal them; or when this is not possible, to comfort them.  Some patients get worse under our care.  Some die.  This sober slice of the human condition impacts deeply on physicians and all health care professionals. I acknowledge that medical errors have worsened patients’ condition or have even contributed or caused their demise, a tragic but unavoidable result of a noble endeavor that is imperfect.  I remind readers that physicians are members of the human species and have all of the flaws and frailties that every other homo sapiens creature pos...

It can be a struggle in a turbulent and violent world to find space to give thanks, but we must try. I hope that we can commit ourselves to making the world better one day at a time accumulating a series of small acts of kindness.  While each individual action may seem insignificant, if enough of us step up, then the world can change.  A rainbow is the effect of millions of drops of water. Perhaps, next year there will be more to be thankful for. Wishing blessings to all.

I’ve never subscribed to the caveat to scrub politics and religion from my discourse.   Indeed, you will find these two subjects riddled throughout this blog.   I think we need more dialogue, not less.   I do agree, however, that dialoguing is a skill.   But it’s not brain surgery.   Any of us can become adept practitioners of this seemingly lost art, if we so desire.   It requires listening with an open mind.   It implies that your view on an issue might be modified in the face of a persuasive argument.   And your responses should respond to what has just been said to you indicating that the other side has been heard. So, now let’s talk some politics.   First, assess your political acumen by answering the following quiz question. Which of the following issues should not be handled by elected officials? (a) Tax policy (b) Zoning ordinances (c) Which chemotherapy regimen should be permitted for breast cancer patients (d) Parks and ...

ROI (return on investment) is an investment principle.   If we contemplate an investment – whether money, time or training – we often speculate on what return on our investment we can expect.    What is the ideal ROI?   There is none.   One’s view of a financial ROI depends on the investor’s goals, risk tolerance, financial portfolio and stage of life.    For example, two experienced financial experts might completely disagree on the worth of a particular investment. What if I offered you an investment that costs nearly nothing but promised a huge yield?   Interested?  Am I sounding like a 2 a.m. telemarketer promising to make you rich on some 'no money down' scheme? If you follow my advice, you may surely become enriched, but don’t expect that you would enjoy any financial enhancement.   You can decide if it would be worthwhile to include these ‘investments’ in your life’s portfolio.   Here are some life investments that ...