Front Porch: Doctor turnover shakes patient confidence in care

http://strangeside.com/lincolns-chiropodist-issachar-zacharie/

I'd sent this in as a separate thread before...trust me, I was one before my total perm disability, believe me, while I entirely perceive your rationale, the way I and those I trained with were trained, was radically different from how physicians are trained to do exactly that, I assure you...please know, I did obviously perceive the humor in what you'd said, I just figured I'd mention that, if only to try to be correspondingly amusing, honest...when I trained, and God knows, I spent nine years doing exactly that, 13 yrs in all out of 14 yrs trying to get done with my surgical board eligibility, which I got close to but never got, I honestly did God only knows how many procedures, specifically on sore toes, both during my externships, as well as my innumerable, interminable yrs of residency...honest, cross my heart, physicians, I assure you, in many instances, from all I'd seen, and God knows I trained under and with more than I can even remember, weren't trained to do toe procedures the way we were, promise...I realize that might sound totally incongruous, as well as wholly impossible, however, it also has the unfortunate virtue of being quite true...we shut my license when we got my total perm disability, to avoid conflict with keeping it on, however, I spent many long, long hours perfecting surgical aspects I'd been expressly taught for nail surgery, as well as dealing with toe ulcers, fractures, sprains, and God knows what else...incl training at three VA hospitals in three states, with a full year doing a "lunch-money" residency at one, as we who did such programs fondly called them...I've gotta admit, though, what you said was genuinely funny...I try to keep sufficient perspective about the whole thing to maintain my sense of humor about such things, promise...there were various times physicians I'd encountered listening to those I'd trained with and/or under would kind of chortle to themselves, whenever one of our guys would give a lecture, essentially viewing all we learned to do as rather a "tempest in a teapot", if you will...what I did was kind of, to be blunt, frequently the scutwork of medicine, I completely realize that, much to my dismay, I suppose, in retrospect...if we didn't exist, medicine would have to absorb a good deal of what we typically did...the thing was, as the article said, even Lincoln used one of our guys, so, amusingly, I suppose our guys must've had some clinical value, I'd guess, ya know?

Also, purely as an aside, the role you're describing has pretty much been subsumed by internists now...God knows, I tried to go med, I just never had the temperament for it, and God also knows, I had more than enough aggravation just trying to finish the thing I'd mistakenly trained for, to begin with, honest...I only say that, as I also thought you might find that perspective useful, if nothing else...what you said was genuinely funny, as I'd said, though, honest....

Read all the stuff I'd sent in, you might find it an amusing perspective on the whole thing...trust me, as I'd explained, very much been there, done that (BTDT), on both sides of the fence, honest....

There's a good deal of truth in what you say, truly...I'd merely point out that, in many instances, and I only say this after 13 yrs of doctoral allied-health clinical training before my total perm disability, plus a full decade of wading through God only knows how much disability garbage for myself, my wife, my mother-in-law, friends, and family, that, in a good many instances, most often just quite frequently, from my observation, I'd found, just don't fully realize, in many instances, how Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance companies actually function, on a day-to-day level...mind you, I'm not disputing your central point, certainly, I'm merely saying that I've delved into the whole thing rather more than might be deemed typical...I'm not saying I'm expert, I'm obviously not, however, in many instances, albeit certainly not all, I've been able to get us results for myself and my family, as well as friends, who often, I find, incl the pastor of the Pentecostal church we go to, frequently ask me to explain how such things actually function, so as to try to be able to use them properly...there's clearly a limit to what I can explain, however, my mind seems to have been rather weirdly wired to let me know how to find such info, so, if you, or others here might ever want to chat, for whatever possible good I might be able to do, within the compass of what I'd be allowed to try to help with under the circumstances, I'd certainly try to give whatever possible suggestions I could, where possible...I just thought you might find those insights of value...believe me, I've been all over that whole segment of the universe, from both the clinician as well as patient standpoints, the former before my total perm disability, I've knocked about it a good long while...I've got four physicians in my family, all of whom, in my estimation, are all a bunch of arrogant twits, with the IQs below that which God gave grapefruits, I've also trained under and with some of the very best clinicians in the US, of all sorts, shapes, varieties, and fields, I must've treated, in all, as I've said on here many times, before my disability, some 10000 patients, as well as assisted and/or observed, as an extern, as well as a resident, some 200-300 surgeries, in God only knows how many different technical areas...I'm not telling you I was Marcus Welby, MD (who was total fiction), however, trust me, at the same time, I've been more than around the clinical block, honest...so, if you'd ever care to chat, no rush, whenever you'd want, just lemme know, I'd be quite glad to do so, by all means, honest, hope that was all of at least of some possible interest, in any event....