List: Thanks to Quackwatch I got a rare look at what a modern day physician deals with day to day, and a peak at (in this case) her relative financial reward. Perhaps it will be short lived, but, at the moment, Quackwatch has much less diatribe and much more useful info. Roger
"Physicians can be as gullible as anyone else. It takes time and energy to think critically about a subject and physicians are just as eager to find a magic solution as any other human. Until you've worked for a while as a doc, I don't think you can understand who emotionally draining it is to be unable to solve difficult health problems. There is a nice editorial in this week's Annals of Internal Medicine that compares published criticism of the Lancet homeopathy meta-analysis to the more muted criticisms of drug company sponsored RCTs. I am not sure what to do when patients ask for referrals to alt providers. I work in a multi-specialty group and one of my partners has recently completed an accupuncture course. There are two physicians in the group who will recommend questionable diets, Great Smoky Mtns Lab tests, and make questionable diagnoses. On two occasions I have sent "worried well" patients who were verbally abusive to me about "Western medicine" to these physicians. I don't know what else to do. I do refer patients who ask for chiropractor referrals to PT, but that's easy because insurance will always cover the PT and that is an excellent sales point! I innocently sent one patient to our rehab doc for his tendonitis, but he freaked out and left when the guy offered him accupuncture (I didn't know this MD was now performing it). Now I am reluctant to send patients to the rehab specialist. I personally recommend a number of "complementary" therapies: exercise, soluble fiber drinks (e.g. Metamucil), exercise, calcium supplements, exercise, physical therapy (in our area all PTs seem to perform craniosacral therapy), exercise, folate/B12/B6, exercise, enteric coated peppermint oil, and exercise. Just for the record: (although it's not strictly health fraud) I make as much per hour as I made 8 years ago as an engineer. I make a higher total amount than I did 8 years ago, but work more hours. I would easily make 33% more and work fewer hours at today's wages as a programmer. My husband who is not a physician makes 25% more than I do. If anybody wants a really good programmer with a decade of Unix experience and an M.D. degree, let me know."
