March 15th, 2011 by Maria Gifford in Announcements, Medblogger Shout Outs
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Grand Rounds will be hosted right here at “home” at Better Health on Tuesday, March 22th, 2011.
Please send your blog-post submissions via e-mail by 12:00AM midnight CT on Saturday, March 19th, to: maria.gifford@getbetterhealth.com.
Please include:
- “Submission for Grand Rounds” in the subject line of your e-mail.
- Your name (blog author), the name of your blog, and the URL of your specific blog-post submission.
- A short summary (1 to 3 sentences) of your blog post.
There’s no specific theme for this edition of Grand Rounds — just send us something really smart or deep or profound that will move us and make us all think harder about health and medicine.
For more information, please see the Grand Rounds Submissions Guidelines. We look forward to receiving your submissions and featuring them here next week. Thank you!
– Maria Gifford, Director of Content, Better Health
February 23rd, 2011 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Better Health Network, Opinion
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I am a doctor. Go ahead, call me what you may. Group me into a neatly, prejudged category: “All you doctors.” Just don’t label me a sponge.
That’s right. Recently in the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Andy Kessler, famous author and former hedge fund manager smart enough to turn $100 million into $1 billion, grouped doctors into a sub-category of the service economy which he labeled as “sponges.” We could have done worse: His other categories included “sloppers” (DMV workers), “slimers” (financial planners), and “thieves” (cable companies).
It seems that doctors — along with cosmetologists, lawyers, and real estate brokers — offend him because of the tests and licenses that we deem necessary:
Sponges are those who earned their jobs by passing a test meant to limit supply. According to this newspaper, 23% of U.S. workers now need a state license. The Series 7 exam is required for stock brokers. Cosmetologists, real estate brokers, doctors and lawyers all need government certification. All this does is legally bar others from doing the same job, so existing workers can charge more and sponge off the rest of us.
His essay goes on to argue the tired notion that technology endangers jobs in the service sector — the toll booth operator argument, again. He likes the creators of stuff: Apple and Google. (Duh.) But in my mind, doctoring is about creating something: We create better and longer lives for our patients. Ask the patient cured of cancer how happy they are that some doctor created his or her treatment plan. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
October 7th, 2010 by Maria Gifford in Announcements, Better Health Network, Medblogger Shout Outs, News
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Check out this preview article (dated October 20, 2010) by Madonna Behen on Oprah’s “O” Magazine website entitled “4 Doctor’s Blogs to Read Now,” where two of the four doctors’ blogs listed are regular Better Health content contributors. They are family physician Lucy Hornstein, M.D., author of “Musings of a Dinosaur,” and internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist Wesby Fisher, M.D., author of “Dr. Wes.”
An excerpt:
You thought physicians were robotic and cold? A new epidemic of personal blogs written by docs might change your mind. These medical scribes are boldly posting their real feelings (and worst fears) on the web, for all the world to see. Their journals provide us patients with an informative and humanizing look behind the professional mask.
Congratulations to these great physician bloggers of ours for making up half of the list!
September 23rd, 2010 by Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Medblogger Shout Outs, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, True Stories
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I don’t think doctors should be socially anonymous. We need to be seen. Here’s why going underground isn’t good policy for physicians:
Anonymity makes you say stupid things. When you’re shouting from the crowd it’s easy to talk smack. Come up to the podium, clear your throat, and say something intelligent. You’re a physician, not a hooligan.
It’s 2010: Anonymity died a long time ago. You think anonymity offers shelter? You’re funny, you are. Anonymity is a myth. You can create a cockamamie pseudonym, but you can’t hide. And if I don’t find you, the plaintiff attorneys will. They found Flea.
Being a weanie is no excuse. Just as you’re unlikely to consult a lawyer before speaking at a cocktail party, commenting as Dr. You is unlikely to kill you or land you in court. Just a few pointers: Don’t talk about patients, help people out, and be nice. Trust me, I’m a doctor. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*
July 15th, 2010 by Michael Sevilla, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Medblogger Shout Outs, News, Opinion, True Stories
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Although it happened a few weeks ago, I only recently learned of the “retirement” of the blog called “Medic999” by EMS social media superstar Mark Glencourse who works in the United Kingdom. I only learned of Mark and his blog (which was recognized as the 2009 Fire/EMS Blog of the Year) in the past few months in association with the hugely popular Chronicles of EMS project (see the first episode on video here).
In stating why he was stopping his blog, unfortunately, I find similar thoughts being shared by the medical colleagues I know about why people either stop blogging or don’t ever start in the first place:
I find it a shame that the reason for this blog ending is the general lack of understanding of blogging and social media. I feel that I have promoted best practice, shared my passion for the job that I do, and hopefully have shown all readers what it is that makes EMS and those that devote their lives to it so special.
However, there still remains a general unease about social media and blogging in the health service. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Doctor Anonymous*
