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There's an old adage in medicine: Following graduation from medical school, it doesn't matter whether you were at the top of your class or the bottom; everyone will still call you "Doctor."
Frankly, I was surprised when, as a junior in med school, I was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (the top 10%). And I was appalled when I was handed the Dean's Award upon graduation. I thought there were better candidates - at least 99 of them, in fact - in my class of 100.
Along the way, I recall my classmates and several faculty physicians telling me I was crazy for wanting to go into Family Practice. They pointedly reminded me that I could do anything I wanted to do. That was okay, I told them... just wanted to be a REAL doc.
"But you'll never make any money as a FP, and your life will never be your own," they warned.
Well, they were right about that, anyway.
Once in practice, I discovered that any notions of hierarchy and privilege among my esteemed colleagues were specious. I watched extremely bright physicians practice mediocre medicine, and I saw individuals who'd struggled through the educational process go on to become exemplary doctors.
As a board-certified Family Physician and ER doctor, I was expected to follow certain rules whenever I treated a patient. In the vernacular of Western medicine, these rules are collectively known as "the standard of care." Unfortunately, this standard is dictated by forces that have little to do with caring.
In my daily life as a solo country doc, I was motivated by another code: that of the healer and teacher. I spent nearly two decades in the trenches of American health care before my eyes began to fail; most of that time was spent helping my patients understand what was happening to them... and what they could do about it. I learned a lot from the people who streamed through my door every day.
An autoimmune illness is slowly eroding my ability to see, but the folks with whom I've rubbed shoulders over the years have given me a gift far greater than eyesight. They have endowed me with vision. I've encountered some fascinating voyagers upon this road we travel.
Along the way, I've learned a little bit about a lot of things. My weary brain has absorbed a fair amount of flotsam about herbalism and nutrition - a couple of topics most of us physicians don't know much about. I've rubbed shoulders with Native American healers (though I don't claim any expertise in their ancient craft). I've scratched the surface of Ayurvedic medicine (another timeless art). Unfortunately, the most compelling thing I've learned about Western medicine - that relative newcomer so laden with arrogance - is that it's precepts and practitioners are in deep trouble.
I've also published a couple of kids' books - just for fun, mind you. They likely won't make it to any library shelves near you, but you're welcome to preview them at: http://www.blurb.com/user/docsteve
Finally, if you're so inclined, you can visit my blog at http://www.naturallyimmunemd.com