3 ms·

Medical doctors are not Ph.D.'s. They are technicians, more akin to an auto mechanic than a scientist.

scrumper 9y ago
(I get the point you're making, but many, at least in the UK, are also dual qualified: Ph.D's as well as MDs.)
grandalf 9y ago
> more akin to an auto mechanic than a scientist Keep in mind that society has chosen to have physicians carry social and often moral authority. They are the modern priests and priestesses of our secular world. What stings when a physician is impatient or misses something obvious is the disrespect people feel because of the physician's venerated status. It's as if a person of faith is visiting a Bishop and the Bishop mutters a profanity during the blessing. The irritation and accusations of arrogance toward physicians that are found in this thread are (if read carefully) reflections of the unique, clergy-like role that physicians play. A physician's opinion can get you decades of workers comp or can deny it to you, it can make you feel responsible for a health problem or vindicated, it can result in the removal of pain or the continuation of it. Physicians let some people get high every day on any number of drugs, declare others bad surgical candidates, and instill (or withhold) hope in those whose life hangs in the balance. It's a deeply moral role, and the trend toward free healthcare for all is analogous to publishing the bible in languages besides Latin. Physicians are gatekeepers to redemption and this makes some people very angry.
karmajunkie 9y ago
I make the same analogy all the time, but I'm reminded of an old joke[1]: A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage. "Hey, Doc, want to take a look at this?" The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its' heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $39,675 a year and you get the really big bucks ($1,695,759) when you and I are doing basically the same work?" The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic..... "Try doing it with the engine running." [1] Found a better version than the one I was screwing up in the retelling at https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/983804-joke-harley-mechanic-heart-surgeon/ https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/983804-joke-harley-mechan...

(I get the point you're making, but many, at least in the UK, are also dual qualified: Ph.D's as well as MDs.)

> more akin to an auto mechanic than a scientist Keep in mind that society has chosen to have physicians carry social and often moral authority. They are the modern priests and priestesses of our secular world. What stings when a physician is impatient or misses something obvious is the disrespect people feel because of the physician's venerated status. It's as if a person of faith is visiting a Bishop and the Bishop mutters a profanity during the blessing. The irritation and accusations of arrogance toward physicians that are found in this thread are (if read carefully) reflections of the unique, clergy-like role that physicians play. A physician's opinion can get you decades of workers comp or can deny it to you, it can make you feel responsible for a health problem or vindicated, it can result in the removal of pain or the continuation of it. Physicians let some people get high every day on any number of drugs, declare others bad surgical candidates, and instill (or withhold) hope in those whose life hangs in the balance. It's a deeply moral role, and the trend toward free healthcare for all is analogous to publishing the bible in languages besides Latin. Physicians are gatekeepers to redemption and this makes some people very angry.

karmajunkie 9y ago

I make the same analogy all the time, but I'm reminded of an old joke[1]: A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage. "Hey, Doc, want to take a look at this?" The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its' heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $39,675 a year and you get the really big bucks ($1,695,759) when you and I are doing basically the same work?" The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic..... "Try doing it with the engine running." [1] Found a better version than the one I was screwing up in the retelling at https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/983804-joke-harley-mechanic-heart-surgeon/ https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/983804-joke-harley-mechan...