Is it just me or does every article about medicine and doctors in the New York Times seem to have a negative slant on it. Granted, the medical system needs some fixes and I can understand that patients, including those who may be journalists, may be frustrated with the efficiency in which their medical ailments are addressed nowadays.Nonetheless though there still seems to be a preponderance of negativty out of proportion to what is deserved (like mesenteric ischemia, it's something that's bad). For instance, one of the Time's lead articles a few days ago was "Arrogant, Abusive and Disruptive -- and a Doctor." But it doesn't stop there; if you search the archives for "doctor" you'll find: "The Six Habits of Highly Respectful Physicians" (an instruction manual on how we should behave), "Doctor and Patient - Too Much Information," "When is a Pain Doctor a Drug Pusher?," and "Doctor and Patient, Now at Odds." And this only covers the first two pages of search results.
Where's the article about the young girl who's appendicitis I diagnosed or about the middle aged man who was having a massive heart attack and, despite having no insurance, was taken urgently to the catherization lab where a stent was placed and his life saved? Where are the articles about these little, taken-for-granted wins that happen every day in every hospital and doctor's office?
I don't know. But it suggests that our profession is in need of some public relations work before things get too far out of hand (if they haven't already). The PR campaign must be multifaceted with one integral component being the recruitment and promotion to public prominence of a new Marcus Welby, a contemporary physician who embodies the spirit of healing, compassion and patience, just as Dr. Welby did in his day.
I've already excluded several possibilities including The Doctors' Drew Ordon, Grey's Anatomy's Cristina Yang and Scrub's JD. But aside from that, all is game. How about you?