The funny thing about certain branches of medicine, is that folk don't realise you're still a doctor!
Patients used to say to me 'I'd like to see a proper doctor' (I was a psychiatrist in my earlier years) and I used to say 'I AM a proper doctor' and they would say 'are you? I never knew that'!
It's astonishing that people are happy to let you literally into their minds, while having no idea at all who you are!
@Thumprhare Yes, I am very much the same but didn't start out that way. But, in the end, I felt I ahd no option but to say 'look, you're an electrician (or whatever), so I'd come to you if I needed my cooker fixing. I'm a doctor, so could we start off with that?'
@Florence yep—that is how I have handled it now. I never was bothered with a Google search that brought questions. The goodie search that people equate to our medical educations isn’t going to fly anymore—not when people are threatening me and my family. Nope. I am done.
@Thumprhare Absolutely. Me too.
@Florence @Thumprhare I am a retired software/hardware engineer. Which means I have pretty much written a lot of code and designed hardware systems.
I have been told on the bird app that I was not. What was their reason? They had none. Just I “didn’t sound like one” (it was in an abortion thread — they read my bio).
My sister, who never went to college, argued about COVID (she thinks it’s gone) in front of my partner who has an MPH had partner walk out the front door (they dislike arguments)
@feloneouscat I've been told repeatedly either that 'prove you're a dr' (why bother) or 'I've complained to the British Medical Journal' (WTF? GMC if you please!). They're so absurd and ill-edicated, that there is really no point in debating anything, many are bots. They jusy say no to everything you say. It's so childish.
@Florence agreed. Their goal posts will just keep changing. @feloneouscat I am not proud that I have gone all Darwinian about this thing. Maybe I was too much an idealist beforehand? Not sure. I just know I make an attempt to educate then if push back, I ask if any type of evidence would change their mind, and if so what source is credible. Usually people say they are until you point out bunk sources.
If they are honest right off, I waste no more breath, maybe a ‘I am here if you want to talk’
@Florence My brother in law was a psychiatrist I understand you. It happens in reverse though too. I have scrubs on and I'm leaving the OR and I'm promoted to doctor. Even when patients knew I was there to perform medical imaging they would want to unload. One patient, about 75: "I get nervous coming here so I drink two martinis with one klonopin, don't tell my doctor". I said, just don't drive yourself, then I went all Sgt Shultz like a good hipaa disciple
@MidnightRider That's fantastic! I think many patients really have no idea who all the different staff are, which is alarming really. We all dress so similarly in certain branches of medicine. But it's so funny who they choose to offload to. It's like confession time. I used to say people said stuff to me that previously they would have told their priest. And I used to think 'it's such a shame I'm not into blackmail'!!
@Florence @MidnightRider
I will suppose by Dr. they mean MD. I had robotic neck surgery. Before being wheeled in I had a conversation with the anesthesiologists. Before I went to sleep I would have thought he was an computer engineer. Maybe he was.
@BFBucky1 @MidnightRider In the UK, Mr's are surgeons and Dr's are medics.
@Florence @MidnightRider You have to love the Britts! I worked for Johnson Matthey for years. I love their speech patterns.
@Florence @MidnightRider
I should have said "your" speech patterns!
@BFBucky1 I'm a US/UK dual national, born in NYC! But I've also worked in the UK. I'm now in Europe.
@Florence It is a small world for sure. I lived in NYC for several years. Wondering if Brooklyn and Brit accents can be mixed. LOL
I had a prostatectomy via Davinci robot, I did get a look at it. I was in one day and out the next. I had 6 "bullet holes".
I also had throat surgery at Penn and I was not sure what the robot was. I was hospitalized for 2 weeks and lost a good piece of the base of my tongue . They were working on developing a new robot at the time. I am still kicking at 78 and very thankful to all those in the medical field. Especially now with COVID.
@Florence it’s the death of expertise. My favorite the las three years when discussing COVID and mRNA vaccines is…’Well that’s your opinion, what I read doesn’t agree’. I stopped being kind about it, and just started saying ‘our opinions about the subject and ability to go through the data are not equal. I would never tell a OTR driver or an electrician how to tSo their job bc I saw a video on YouTube about it.’
Reactions were mixed. lol