In an article in the New York Times entitled "As Doctors Cater to Looks, Skin Patients Wait" published on July 28, ----- reports that many dermatologists' practices cater to the cosmetic patients differently than they do to medical dermatology patients. The cosmetic patient obtains earlier appointments, nicer waiting rooms and examination settings, while the patient with a medical dermatology complaint, that is a mole or rash, waits longer for an appointment and waits in a a standard room with fewer amenities.
This is abhorrent. It smacks of two waiting rooms-one for blacks and one for whites. Balcks waited longer to see the doctor in one practice in Mississippi, meaning that they were seen after the white patients were seen. I have to be careful here. Airlines cater to their more upscale cliens in first and business class-definitely separate but unqeual. To hear of the same in medical arena feels odd and unfair.
All this at a time when dermatologists are touting the melaonama prevention line. Yet patient who must who have skin cancer concerns wait longer to be seen that the pataient with a botox request.
This is money talking...Cosmetic patients pay more for the higher costing procedures and expect to be catered to. The more medical dermatology patient pays significatnly less for a melanoma evaluation or rash cure.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Rude Doctors
In today's New York Sun (7/28/08) on the front page was an article about rude doctors. I was surprised to see it; it suggested that rude doctors are not uncommon. It cited an instance when a doctor and a nurse were yelling down the hall and cited a document entitled "Rules of Behavior" that outlines expect behavior between professionals.
Medicine is stressful enough without a document that outlines how professional should behave toward one another. Medicine is one of nature's highest professional callings. In recent times, say within the last twenty years, it has become a profession used as insurance companies and managed care projects make endless sums of money off the backs of doctors. This, of course, does not excuse rudeness of doctors, but it does suggest the endless cycles of stresses physicians face. Being called upon to make numerous decisions about life and death daily, while still being expected to make the house and car payments is stressful. Sometimes professionals are rude and to add another requirement for performance, such as compliance with a rudeness document is like a slap in the face.
As a retired physician, I am glad I left the profession before I became incorrigible and anti-social. I say humbug to the rudeness document. It is one more slap in the face for hardworking doctors.
Medicine is stressful enough without a document that outlines how professional should behave toward one another. Medicine is one of nature's highest professional callings. In recent times, say within the last twenty years, it has become a profession used as insurance companies and managed care projects make endless sums of money off the backs of doctors. This, of course, does not excuse rudeness of doctors, but it does suggest the endless cycles of stresses physicians face. Being called upon to make numerous decisions about life and death daily, while still being expected to make the house and car payments is stressful. Sometimes professionals are rude and to add another requirement for performance, such as compliance with a rudeness document is like a slap in the face.
As a retired physician, I am glad I left the profession before I became incorrigible and anti-social. I say humbug to the rudeness document. It is one more slap in the face for hardworking doctors.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Ramblings
When I was proofreading a letter I drafted with a young case manager, I became frustrated over her obvious ignorance of the use of "Very Truly Yours" as a closing. Her response when I pointed it out was that it was too personal and that she preferred using what she considered the less personal "Sincerely". Instead, she used the words "Thank you" as the closing of the letter. Since I have to work with this person I let her use the closing she wanted to use. If she wants to sign her name to something incorrect, it will reflect on her and not me. One reason I felt frustrated was that the young woman obviously did not know that she was incorrect, refused to acknowledge that she was incorrect...and refused to accept the correction. I felt she felt her opinion about how it should be done was just as valid as my justifiable correction.
Had I been this young lady's boss I would have told her to correct the wording of the closing and I would have referred her to a website to help her out of her lack of awareness. As is stands, I am glad I do not have to sign the letter.
Recently, the new director of the residence where I live wrote a letter to all of the tenants. There was a run-on sentence and a misspelling of the name of the organization that owns the business. I was very turned-off and disappointed that she did not take the time to adequately proofread this first letter she was sending out. Unfortunately, the residents in our building don't pay attention to this sort of thing. It reflects very negatively on her. Although she is stylish and otherwise presentable, the poor writing of the letter leaves a bad taste in my mouth about her and her style of management.
Having recently completed a course in legal proofreading, I am alert to many proofreading errors. I want to approach her and tell her about her errors, but she may likely to take it the wrong way. As I have to live with this woman I am inclined to let it be. I remain turned off by her writing and feel less than optimistic about her in her new role as director.
How often does this occur? Is America losing its grip on what is accepted as appropriate or incorrect? How many other people go along to get along with those less aware in the culture...at least in matters of writing and etiquette? How many other people in leadership positions fail to write well and/ or proofread documents they write prior to sending them out? Is this a trend in management? What does it reflect about the writing skills of management and America?
Had I been this young lady's boss I would have told her to correct the wording of the closing and I would have referred her to a website to help her out of her lack of awareness. As is stands, I am glad I do not have to sign the letter.
Recently, the new director of the residence where I live wrote a letter to all of the tenants. There was a run-on sentence and a misspelling of the name of the organization that owns the business. I was very turned-off and disappointed that she did not take the time to adequately proofread this first letter she was sending out. Unfortunately, the residents in our building don't pay attention to this sort of thing. It reflects very negatively on her. Although she is stylish and otherwise presentable, the poor writing of the letter leaves a bad taste in my mouth about her and her style of management.
Having recently completed a course in legal proofreading, I am alert to many proofreading errors. I want to approach her and tell her about her errors, but she may likely to take it the wrong way. As I have to live with this woman I am inclined to let it be. I remain turned off by her writing and feel less than optimistic about her in her new role as director.
How often does this occur? Is America losing its grip on what is accepted as appropriate or incorrect? How many other people go along to get along with those less aware in the culture...at least in matters of writing and etiquette? How many other people in leadership positions fail to write well and/ or proofread documents they write prior to sending them out? Is this a trend in management? What does it reflect about the writing skills of management and America?
Friday, July 11, 2008
A Graceful Treatment
On Cancer –Specific Products: An Unnecessary Balm? New York Times July 10, 2008
In the recent article in the New York Times, the author describes a new line of skin care treatment for cancer patients. It sounds like a good idea….no worse than the myriad of skin care products on the market for the rich and famous and for the not so rich and famous that promise softer, younger looking skin. One aspect that strikes me as strange is the sense that people with cancer should not be concerned with their appearances and that somehow vanity should have eluded those who are terminally or potentially terminally ill. With the onslaught of new medical treatments for cancer we live longer and with the treatment processes lasting longer the side effects are around longer. As a young person, I wonder what is wrong with looking younger while undergoing treatment for cancer…as an older and wiser person, I realize that vanity lives with us as long as we are alive and there is a market for products that cater to our vanity. We want to age gracefully and to ail gracefully. Doing so with beautiful skin is one way we can do it.
In the recent article in the New York Times, the author describes a new line of skin care treatment for cancer patients. It sounds like a good idea….no worse than the myriad of skin care products on the market for the rich and famous and for the not so rich and famous that promise softer, younger looking skin. One aspect that strikes me as strange is the sense that people with cancer should not be concerned with their appearances and that somehow vanity should have eluded those who are terminally or potentially terminally ill. With the onslaught of new medical treatments for cancer we live longer and with the treatment processes lasting longer the side effects are around longer. As a young person, I wonder what is wrong with looking younger while undergoing treatment for cancer…as an older and wiser person, I realize that vanity lives with us as long as we are alive and there is a market for products that cater to our vanity. We want to age gracefully and to ail gracefully. Doing so with beautiful skin is one way we can do it.
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