My doctor is awesome!

[Beware the Beast Man]

I went to see my doctor today, and realized even more why I liked her in the first place. After my checkup, we wound up discussing politics, and she's a pretty rabid leftie. Somehow it all started over a discussion about how we both despised Wal-Mart for their horrible benefits and their stranglehold on local economies. I warned her not to take my blood pressure after our talk. :D It's pretty rare to find someone like that in the medical profession.

[TK421]

1. Sounds like you have a cool doctor. Mine is like that, kind of

We got to talking about Bush one time-he started talking about how he wished everything would just get back to normal and since Bush took office how much this country has gone downhill. I think I got too riled up over it,though. He quieted down after a while (hope I didn't scare him):smoke:

[hippywife]

2. I'm lucky enough to have

a great doc, we have lots of laughs when we visit and he is a leftie, too.

[knitter4democracy]

3. My hubby's a leftie, and he's an internist.

There are more than you'd think. Honestly, I think there are way more after reading the latest AMNews and the various reports coming out of the last general AMA meeting this summer. They've actually come out against the Patriot Act (for patient confidentiality rights) and against anyone trying to legislate end-of-life issues, like they did with Mrs. Schiavo.

The tide's turning!

[Beware the Beast Man]

4. True. And all the junk science as well,

such as the old "tears and sweat" HIV meme. :eyes:

[knitter4democracy]

5. Frist used to get all sorts of press in AMNews--not lately!

Many docs we know are really pissed at the guy. That's when Hubby starts talking about Dr. Dean and gets their attention. He's working on several he knows. ;)

[Droopy]

6. I don't know my doctor's politics

but he is one of the coolest people I know. I owe my life to him as well as several other nurses, paramedics, and orderlies. I guess you could say they were just doing their jobs, what they were supposed to do, but that does not cheapen what they did for me.

Here's to medical professionals. :toast:

[carpetbagger]

7. Doctors primarily reflect their geography and upbringing.

I went to medical school in a very blue state. I'd say the class split about 60-40 democratic. I now live in an urban, relatively moderate city in Texas, where the split is probably 60-40 republican.

I've found that the most important determinants of a doctor's politics are hometown, ethnicity, parental occupation, and specialty (which is probably based somewhat on political and social views). Doctors who grew up rich tended to be strongly republican, unless their parents were nonmedical academics. Specialty is interesting. Pediatricians and family doctors (outside the rural-ish south) tend to be more liberal, surgeons more conservative.

Doctors' first, second, and third political priorities are medical malpractice reform. It's not only the money (and here there's ample opportunity to point out to doctors that they're getting fleeced by insurance carriers), it's about professional and personal security. It's pretty shocking to watch colleague after colleague lose massive judgments and get their reputations dragged through the mud. It's another thing to see the best doctors in your town have this happen after doing absolutely nothing wrong.

Outside that issue, they tend to reflect any other group of well-educated, affluent, professionals who accept the theory of evolution.

[sleipnir]

8. But is she as good as Chief Scientist, Sean Baker?

http://www.iona.com/info/aboutus/management/sean_baker.htm