Actually, this reason alone is why I have tremendous respect for doctors: they are accepting a career where they know that eventually, almost inevitably, they will make a mistake–or be part of a chain of mistakes–that results in someone’s death. It has to be that way–you can’t expect anyone to be 100% right 100% of the time over a 30 year career. Accepting that burden as part and parcel of helping people is a hell of a thing, and deserves a hell of a lot of respect.
I’m picturing the Far Side cartoon wherein the homeowner confronts a burglar with his Dobie-O-Matic, only loaded with a scalpel-wielding doctor instead of a dog.
It’s important to distinguish whether we’re talking about physician errors or medical errors, as Qadgop mentioned. A “medical” error could be extended to include a patient who takes his medicine incorrectly, an unpredictable adverse drug reaction or allergy, or even this.
(I took care of both patients involved in this ordeal; it was nightmare-inducing.)
Pssht.
That’s the excuse people always use when they pass on glurge like this. IMO, that doesn’t excuse propagating factually questionable information and midleasing statstics. Regardless of what the glurge’s agenda is.
Regardless of its intent, I think passing it on is irresponsible.
Have any of you ever handled a doctor and had him accidentally go off?
Don’t worry about that, Qadgop, it happens to all men sometimes.
Whew! And I thought it was just me! Some important information gets neglected in med school!
And then you always have the people who can’t understand how something can be a joke and still have a point. Even though the statistics are purposely misused (but technically correct), that doesn’t mean it’s an abomination unto the Lord whose propagators (a subspecies of the alligator) shall be cut off from their people.
Hell, the anti-gunners have spouted garbage statistics much worse than that for years, and I mean outright lies and fabrications, not just simple misuses of statistics. And the public at large just swallows it. And most of their numbers aren’t even true! Example: Mary Leigh Blek, representative of the Million Mom March, made this statement to the UN recently:
That adds up to…let’s see…525,960 per year. There were only 30,708 total firearm deaths in 1998 (down 14% from 1997), so I’d say that’s a pretty gross lie. In fact, her numbers are inflated by about 1,700% (more if you discount suicides). But where’s the outcry? I’m not even going to mention Kellerman’s 43:1 ratio. Wait, I just did. Anyway, that’s also a deliberate misuse of statistics. But anti-gun people go on, happily spouting it, just because it looks cool to uninformed people if you quote the New England Journal of Medicine.
Alpha, do you also hate Aesop’s fables, since foxes don’t really claim that out of reach grapes are sour? Didn’t think so. Think before you flip your lid.
so your justification for spreading misinformation is that ‘others do it too’?
I’m w/Alphagene.
No, genius, I’m saying that it is written the way it is in order to illustrate a point. If you sincerely can’t tell that the mail in the OP was written tongue-in-cheek, then perhaps satire is too advanced a concept for you. Have you considered a refresher course in high school-level composition & literature?
On further reflection, I was a jerk on my last post. I apologize, and here is the non-jerk version of what I was trying to say:
No, I’m saying that it is written the way it is in order to illustrate a point. The mail in the OP was written tongue-in-cheek, in the style of the anti-gunners’ press releases, in order to call attention to the many types of deliberate (and unintentional) misuses of statistical information, and how the same numbers can be used to draw many different pictures.
I don’t think anyone can honestly believe that the author was genuinely encouraging people to avoid doctors. And if you say you do, then you’re being dishonest.
Hmmm. Well, I’ll overlook the inappropriate rudeness, to comment on the ‘substance’ of your post.
You are, of course, aware the motto of this board? You have, perhaps, heard of “Snopes”? see, both seem to think that intentionally spreading misinformation doesn’t serve any useful purpose. Including if it’s done in an ‘ironic’ tone etc. YM obviously varies.
simulpost. my brief ‘others do it too’ could also have been seen as less than kind.
Ok. I didn’t believe that folks would stop going to the doctors after reading that email, but I know folks who (hell I’m related to folks who…) would read something like that and conclude that going to the doctor was more risky behavior than it is.
friends again. But I still wouldn’t bother forwarding it, myself. 
I know y’all are really spoiling for a gun control thread in this forum.
You are not going to have one. This is not a request.
None of you is so stupid or new to this message board that you are unaware of the existence of Great Debates.
What you are doing right now is a direct insult to the moderators of this forum and to the membership that comes here looking for factual information.
Stop.
hehe. Mr Carina is a doctor, so my answer would be yes.
One small point which I may have missed. How exactly are these stats about killer doctors gathered? Through legal records, how? My SO is a radiologist, & doesn’t have much direct contact with patients. He has, however, been sued several times along with a number of other medical professionals involved in the care of someone who died as a result of alleged negligence.
So I’m wondering if several physicians can be held simultaneously liable for a patient death, which would skew these numbers.
Mr Carina is working & I can’t get hold of him now or I’d ask him.