Ok, so not really an inspirational quote but it is so important: “the miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others.”[1] In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people assess their cognitive ability as greater than it is. It…
To all our readers who celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah: ENJOY! BE HAPPY! BE GRATEFUL! LIFE IS GOOD! Yeah, we do a look of blogs that seem harsh at times but we do it for a reason. We want to be a force for change. It doesn’t mean we aren’t human beings with good hearts. So…have…
The above image was recently seen on FB. It was from a magazine in Oregon. It says: (My doctor) is a Nurse Practitioner This is confusing for patients but that was the point, right? NPO, who sponsors and put out this ad, is the Nurse Practitioners of Oregon. This is deliberate. This has to stop.…
For years, this blog has discussed the issues of others referring to themselves as doctors. This “trend” has now reached a point such that patients, not knowing who is who, are placed at risk. A few of our writers had been discussing the term “Cultural Appropriation” and how it relates to the field of medicine.…
I was just blown away when I read this article the Wall Street Journal. It is such a perfect example of the disrespect we physicians are getting. The title is It’s Time to Fire Your Doctor by Andy Kessler. Here is Andy’s bio: Andy Kessler is the author of Inside View, a column he writes…
Even as Medicaid is busting state budgets sea to shining sea, organized medicine led by the AMA, concerned advocacy groups, and the at least half of elected officials are pushing to expand the program (and California would like to expand it to large chunks of Latin America). Medicaid paperwork and reporting requirements continue to enlarge,…
The first week of 2018, and I’m already weary of the same old misinformed, deceitful “journalist” claims about the medical profession and health care in general. Writer Christian Barnard op-eds in the Washington Examiner that, “Thanks to doctors, there aren’t enough doctors.” While shaking his fist at the future, Barnard presents not a single new fact…
What to say when the free market conflicts with common sense? It happens every day, and we should not think that medicine – such as it is – could rise above it. I’ve written repeatedly here that I think patients should be free to see anyone they want for almost anything, and I should be…
“No profession improves in response to lower standards,” said Dawn Penich-Thacker, a spokeswoman with Save Our Schools Arizona, and I could hug her for it. While some of you may want to say “Thanks, Captain Obvious”, our society has gotten so dumb that we have to keep repeating simple, inescapable truths. Every politician loves education,…
Fifteen or so years ago, I was watching Bill O’Reilly work himself up into a froth over medical costs, and he got particularly exercised over some specialists making huge paychecks; his retort, “C’mon, no doctor needs to make more than say, $400,000” rang a little hollow coming from a multi-millionaire commentator. Suffice it to say,…