Saturday, April 07, 2007

Medicine Takes A Loss

I’m so sad today. In the course of drinking my morning cuppa, I saw that one of my favorite medbloggers, Charity Doc, has called it quits. His posts made me laugh and cry as he detailed his life as head of ED at Crack City Medical Center. He’s leaving for the most tragic of all reasons – the hospital administrators are telling him how to practice medicine.

The day a doctor is told what tests he/she is allowed to run by someone wearing a suit and calculator is the day we should all start asking ourselves, “Who is John Galt?” Ayn Rand, I’d like to think you’re turning over in your grave to watch our country wither from within. The engineers who work todilute everything that made America strong have taken over without firing a single shot. Dollars and power now take precedence over human value.

As a writer of medical fiction, I wonder if future generations will pick up my book and wonder what a surgeon or an ER doc is. I suddenly feel as irrelevant as Charity Doc now feels.

Charity, you don’t know me from Adam, but I’ll miss you. Worse, yet, your patients will miss you. Thank you for touching my life with your humor, pain and wit.

3 comments:

Charity Doc said...

I appreciate you kind words immensely, Lynn. I guess I'm just burned out and need a break from medicine for a while. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do, although I have been offered several positions already by friends and folks who heard through the grape vine that I was quitting. 7 years ago I left an academic position at a very busy and prestigious trauma center to return to my hometown to take care of my elderly parents. My parents have been very happy since I moved them in to live with me, my wife and children. It would be a terrible disappointment to them, as well as my kids, if we move. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I suppose I can moonlight around. There's always work for an ER doc. But for now I'm set on taking a long vacation to clear my head first.

Lynn Price said...

Charity, wherever you go, I know you'll give it your all. My heart goes with you!

Dr. David said...

People need to take a close look at why this physician is frustrated if they want to understand the major threats to quality medical care in the US.