Monday, April 23, 2007

Why shouldn't doctors be second guessed? Everybody else is.


I am doctor and I get second guessed. It is simply part of life. It doesn't bother me. It keeps me on my toes. I expect it and am never surprised by it. I also give every patient my best effort, I suppose, like most of us. So go ahead, do it.


Other professions get second guessed even worse than doctors. Governor Corzine's State Trooper driver is being criticized for the way he drove. He'll probably lose his job. The Governor himself is being criticized for his lack of seat belt use. When he returns to office, no doubt that every single one of his gubernatorial decisions will be second guessed.


Any politician gets second guessed as a matter of business. No, they don't get sued personally or professionally, as we doctors do, but they get voted out of office and have to find new employment. Especially the President. And you think it is good to be an unpopular ex-president? Just talk to LBJ, Nixon, and Bush 1. They all spent their post-office days in a sort of exile. Though, on the balance, doctors have it worse than ex-presidents.


Cops have it worse than doctors. They have high pressure jobs, have to make split second decisions, and can make mistakes that have disastrous consequences. Just like doctors. In addition to doctors, the police face constant second guessing from internal affairs, politicians, and citizen's rights groups. And they can get sued, civilly, as well. In NYC, the police make < $40K per year. Yeah, cops have it worse than doctors.


How about teachers? They have it rough as well. They get tortured by administrators, parents, and politicians. They can lose their jobs, get passed over for promotions, and, yes, be physically injured. They do get their summers off. Otherwise, teachers have it worse than doctors.


How about ad-executives? Seems glamorous, if you watch the movies. I don't think it is. High pressure, dead-lines, and results oriented. They won't get sued, they'll get canned.


So basically, everyone has got it rough. Suck it up and move'on!


The IU.