Posted by violette on June 20, 2010, at 11:30:23
In reply to shrinks self-destruction..., posted by Christ_empowered on June 20, 2010, at 2:48:18
"And: what kind of a person goes into psychiatry in the first place? I've heard from other docs that psychiatrists often don't do as well in med school as, say, dermatologists, and they're often trained in foreign schools either a) b/c they are foreign (this is especially common in public health services) or b) they found foreign schools appealing b/c...umm..they could actually get in.
And..think: what kind of person would get an MD to practice a controversial branch of medicine that involves coercing or forcing people to take drugs that are known to be hazardous and are only somewhat effective? What kind of a doctor pursues a branch of medicine that involves destroying the very organ (the brain) they are supposed to working on?"What kind of person? What kind of doctor? It doesn't seem fair to generalize all those who enter the profession. I agree with you that SOME may get in for the wrong reasons or because they were not able to get into the more highly-competitve fields, as other professions, (for example, someone might go into the field because they enjoy the power of people) but it seems like you painted a broad brush over psychiatry professionals. Yes, other clinical fields can be more desirable to some and are higher paying, come with less hassles and more prestige...I also have heard other physicians look down on the profession as you stated.
HOWEVER-my pdoc always wanted to be a psychiatrist. When I was a child-I wanted to be a psychiatrst due to my experience with a severely mentally ill family member. I didn't pursue the career for logistal and other reasons, but some go into the profession due to their experiences with mental illness with the desire to help people who are suffering. Some of those with these intentions might realize the scientific and other problems and perhaps wish to change the system with intentions to improve the treatment of those with mental illnesses-to improve the quality of their lives.
Some psychiatric drugs might contribute to "destroying the brain" but some psychiatrists I know are committed to helping heal the brain. A psychiatrist can't go back and change history and research before they were born, and intend set out to do the best they can in a health care system they do not have complete control over. Doctors in other clinical fields use drugs that destroy the body or brain too. Doctors cannot feasibly practice medicine and simultaneously create their own drugs. Doctors are tied by the tools they have available and the system and have to practice using those tools along with their training, education, and experience.
I have personally experienced psychiatrists who are sub-par in many ways, and have also experienced the best of them. It's just not fair to label all those in the profession with phrases like "what kind of person goes into psychiatry in the first place"...My psychiatrist has the best intentions for my wellness and is one of the most compassionate, kind human beings I have ever known. I'd bet he isn't the only psychiatrist in the entire world with those qualities.
poster:violette
thread:951547
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20100528/msgs/951595.html