Pick a winner!!!

Okay, well I decided to start blogging. I mainly did because I enjoy my cousin’s blog so much and hearing what he has to say on different issues. Since I’m attempting to remain somewhat anonymous, let’s just say his name is ‘Brian Smith’, which is a generic name that is nothing like his real name. I thought maybe someone might be interested in what I might have to say about things, too. Either that or I’m getting more and more narcissistic in my older age. Which could easily be the case because I’ve spent a lot of time around surgeons, and I did take that class in medical school, “How to act really important around non-physicians.”

I think I do have a unique perspective to add on a variety of subjects, but people are probably most interested in hearing what I have to say about kids. So I will post about anything that happens to be on my mind at the time, but most of my posts will probably center on being a pediatrician. And I’m sure a post or two will pop up about prop 8, since I am Mormon, even though the election is over, it seems to be an issue that will never go away.

You should listen to what I have to say, because I AM A DOCTOR! (please read sidenote about italics = sarcasm). Actually that leads to the first subject I thought I would post about… picking a doctor. I have been scared many times by parents in my office who disagree on a certain issue, and I come down on one side of the fence. Then one parent says to the other, “We need to listen to him, he is a doctor!”

Let me say, I have met many people along my trek in medical school and residency that I would not want near myself or any loved one of mine. And I picture these people telling patients (and their parents) what to do, and those people saying, “We need to listen to him/her, he/she is a doctor!”

So how do I know whether my doctor is a quack or stud? Well I know lots of people who go to him and everyone loves him! Nope. One of the scariest realizations I had in residency was that some of the worst doctors were the most popular ones. Their clinics were always full and their patients/parents LOVED them. I also know popular doctors that are good, too.

Here’s the point were I give you the solution to the problem, because I HATE when people bring up problems and no solutions. Oh wait, I guess I don’t really have one. If you have a doctor friend you can run things by them to see if what they say makes sense. But then again your friend may be a quack, too. You could check their malpractice record, but that is likely to be deceiving, as many of these docs are loved, and loved doctors don’t get sued.

Okay, here’s my take home message: Always keep your mind open. Don’t take everything your doctor says as gospel. I’m sure I will have a future post about ‘scientifically proven facts’, but here’s the readers digest version: there aren’t many out there. Do your homework and don’t be afraid to think for yourself. And if you are diagnosed with a something serious, or think you have something serious and your doctor is blowing it off, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. But whatever happens, please don’t get your second opinion from Jenny McCarthy! (there will also be a future post re: vaccines and autism)

*** And if you are one of my former classmates and you are reading this, and you think I'm talking about you as one of the quacks, here is my response: No, I'm not talking about you. It's someone else. You are a wonderful doctor.