Posted by Adam on August 26, 2000, at 12:56:15
In reply to Re: please be civil, posted by Dr. Bob on August 24, 2000, at 23:16:16
> > There's a difference between being a practicing psychiatrist and saying you're a practicing psychiatrist.
>
> That's certainly true. It's a tough one, the credentials issue.
>
It might be possible for someone to provide convincing evidence of their credentials without revealing their specific identity. Or they could simply say "I am a board-certified doctor of psychiatric medicine," and respond to questions they felt comfortable addressing appropriately. I am willing to believe Cam is a pharmacist without searching for his publications, and his posts by themselves provide a certain amount of evidence of the truhfulness of his self-identification. There's little way to know anything with complete confidence online, so perhaps the easiest way to deal with that is to accept it. Based on some of my posts, I have been asked, a couple of times, if I was a medical practitioner of some sort, to which I answered no, I am a rank amateur who has a personal and professional interest in biomedical science. But maybe I lied. I would imagine my ignorance of ethical boundaries in the dissemination of medical facts and minutae might give the discerning reader some indication of the truth, as it were.> Clinicians could reassure readers about the information they provide by providing also their credentials, but by doing so they would identify themselves and thereby make themselves easier to sue.
>
Sad, but true. In "the writings of Dr. Ivan Goldberg" (an example of a guy who speaks his mind online) he asserts that some doctors don't like to prescribe MAOIs because they're afraid of being sued. It would appear, from my perspective, that even doing the right thing can involve a certain level of risk. It seems to come with the territory. I do not know how often physicians are made the victims of frivolous lawsuits, which are a sad symptom of American litigeousness. However, from what I can see, the average American physician, especially the specialist, is rewarded handsomely for his or her long years of training and professional rigors. In other nations the professional rewards and risks seem likewise somewhat proportional.
>
> > But I think perhaps she was so despondent over having her credentials questioned that she committed suicide. I hope everyone is really sorry now. They were just jealous because she was smarter than them. (Well,hey, my speculation is a good as anyone else's.)
>
> All speculations are not created equal. Sarcasm is rarely supportive or educational. And suicide isn't something to joke about.I agree. Not funny.
Which gets me to something I'd like to clarify. I am very grateful for this site. I see this place, your valuable contribution, Dr. Bob, as quite above and beyond the requirements of the average mensch. As a little aside, I never expected you, as the mediator of this board, would directly address the factualness of things said on this board, so long as the discourse is civil, as you say.
Thank you.
Adam
poster:Adam
thread:42703
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000822/msgs/43778.html