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[26 Apr 2012|09:38pm] |
Let me start by admitting that there is occasionally some bad blood between doctors and surgeons. Particularly when orthopedic surgeons, but most healthcare professionals who have had any experience in a busy ER tend to dislike them. Martyr complexes are common but that's a ramble for another time. But in general I have found that most surgeons are hardworking and dedicated to the well-being of their patients. That tends to change when it comes to having a studio audience and a camera instead of a patient.
I am not a 'fan' of Dr. Mehmet Oz dress shoes and socks with scrubs, really? Most surgeons I've met only wear scrubs when they're about to operate. I can appreciate how difficult it is to present medical information on television, particularly when you have to please laymen (which generally means a sensationalist title or 'scary' fact) and professionals. The trouble with medicine on television is its wide audience, giving out medical advice when you don't know the viewer's medical history is less than ideal and in some cases can be dangerous. For example one of his favorite topics seems to be diet and nutrition (which makes me raise an eyebrow as he doesn't seem to know the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis, though I can only hope that was merely a typo in the article I was reading), his by-word seems to be 'in moderation'. Moderation is a nebulous statement in these sorts of situations; the term moderation varies greatly from person to person. He is doing his best to avoid culpability by using the statement, not giving useful advice.
What really bothers me about his show, and what has generally been my pet hate since medical school, is his tendency to include pseudoscience, new age 'medicine' and psychic nonsense. The last particularly gets under my skin as he is a great admirer of John Edward, the 'psychic medium' or charlatan as I call him (James Randi's encounters with him make it abundantly clear that he uses cold reading, and isn't above using the tragedy of 9/11 for his own personal gain). Personal beliefs are one thing, but when the unscientific, and occasionally anti-scientific, spills into the show and is presented as equally valid as established medical fact you run the risk of tainting the general view of science and medicine in popular culture. There is already a frighteningly large anti-science movement in this country, the idea of adding to it makes me feel ill.
... And perhaps I'm only ranting because I've caught Mary watching the show during the day, or it has been too long since I've written a paper or been to a conference.
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[30 Mar 2012|07:56pm] |
I'm being... well, I suppose stalked is an appropriate word for it. By a 16 year-old girl. I fixed her dislocated shoulder the day before yesterday and she has become 'attached'. She's been sending me gifts and she was even sitting on my doorstep when I got home tonight (wearing something that would get all the men around her arrested). I'm at a loss.
I'm thinking I need a drink, and maybe an excuse to get away for a few hours. Any medical emergencies are on the house tonight, at least until I can be sure that she's back at her own home.
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[24 Mar 2012|08:15pm] |
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I've come to the realization that I probably should have been an OB/GYN. It would save me from having to have conversations along the lines of 'No, I swear I fell on it, Doc, really hard, while I was naked, I don't know why it had a condom on it'. Though, I can't imagine it would be all that different really.
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[11 Mar 2012|10:22pm] |
Spent the evening watching Cosmos: A Personal Voyage for the thousandth time. I was about four years old when it aired originally, mother said I was glued to it though, and it explains why she bought me a telescope so early. I bought the vhs tapes a few years back and felt the urge to dig them out again tonight when I heard they were doing a sequel with Neil deGrasse Tyson taking over for Sagan. It's amusing how happy that prospect, and watching these again, makes me.
I was going to complain about my lack of a social life, but I have my kitten (Hypatia) beside me, Carl Sagan and millions and billions of stars, I'm quite content.
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[29 Feb 2012|11:15pm] |
I was reminded today of why bartering went out of fashion in western society, this was that reminder. A patient gave her to me in payment of my usual office visit fee, apparently my office staff thought it too cute because I wasn't given a chance to refuse before the patient left.
She's very cute at least, I just hope this ends here because I do not have room for a cow.
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[24 Feb 2012|12:07am] |
Alright, I'm just going to come right out and say it. I have treated an unspecified number of patients this last week for an unspecified number of sexually transmitted diseases which I really didn't expect here in Wisconsin, so thanks for that. Therefore I want to remind everyone that a condom is a lot cheaper than coming to see me, so I urge everyone to use them, even when it comes to oral sex. Let's all try to stay healthy, Portage, I don't want to give the CDC a reason snicker.
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[13 Feb 2012|04:23pm] |
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WebMD is an excellent resource for medical information, but there are times when the most dangerous thing is only a little knowledge. Case in point, if your toe hurts don't automatically assume that just because WebMD says one of the causes could be gout, that it is gout and try to self medicate.
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