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I'm Going to Stir The Pot - Cultures

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Grama-Herc

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My mind has wondered onto a sore subject and will more than likely offend some of you, but we are allowed to express our opinions, so here I go

With the mess in England and Scotland--the main thing that seems to stick out in my mind is the fact that some of the car bombers there are physicians.

One thing I noticed before I quite my position in hospital was the fact that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find a physican who is American. The number of foreign doctors has actually started to freighten me. They are now the majority of our doctors in this country.

Am I the only person that is bothered by this observation? The news reporters re pointing out how, as a rule, physicians are trusted and very rarely questioned. They seem to carry an aura of trust and unquestionable character. These terriost doctors over there scare the hell out of me! How many of them do we have over here?????

I sincerely hope I have offended no one but it is a fact to think about
 
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Hi There!!!
I do a little exercise in my head when I am confronted with something that scares me, and I find it helps to ease my mind by showing me the other side to the coin.
I in no way say that your opinion is wrong, because your opinion is yours to own and to do with what you please. However, your fear may be reduced by trying this.....
It may be true that in your country foreign doctors are becoming more prevelant. A different way of looking at this might be to think that the basis for becoming a doctor is to help mankind, and there are not many more honourable ways of doing this!!! The fact that there are not more nationals choosing this kind of work might in fact represent an increasingly more selfish society?
By thinking this way it kind of gets you thinking....
Just the flip side to the coin.....
I find it is human nature to fear a group based of the evil shown by a few. Hundreds of years ago our very survival depended on it. Our evolution however brought with it the ability to "think outside the square" and question even the "obvious".
Thank God we evolved, or we might never be able to disinguish between the evil actions of a few, and the overwhelming good of many......
Ryair xxxxxxxxxxx
 
I think it is perfectly natural to feel fear. Our mouths, not minds are politically correct.

Look at the mess that has been made from our presidents screwing around and up. We saw the towers fall. And with as big of an anxiety problem as we have it is supposed to be shocking we are wary?

Personally I stopped going to male doctors from over seas. Women have been great and kind. And the neat thing nothing has been lost in translation. I went to one who told me I was flat crazy when I was pregnant with my 3rd child 10 years ago. I was trying to tell him my depth perception was off and when I was driving that cars looked like they were coming at me instead of passing. I was trying to figure out why. He took that as "you come in telling me cars are trying to get you??" I got pissed and said that was nothing of the sort of what I just said and I seemed to piss him off by clarifying.

Went to my GP and he simply said, your pregnant, you swell, EVERYTHING swells. He said that it will even influence your eyesight, no biggie it will go away after the baby. Never went back to that OB-GYN. And it was not worth me getting that pissed so I go to other doctors that I am sure what they say and more important can understand English and slang terms.

So there, my politically incorrect moment for the day.
 
They seem to carry an aura of trust and unquestionable character.


I realize this is the common perception, but IMHO that's just idiocy. Trust is earned. You don't just hand it out and go oh here I can't even question you just because someone went to medical school.

Pfffht, over my dead body would I do that. I trust doctors even less than most!

bec
 
Well Herc considering that I don't reside in the United States, none of my doctors have ever been American. :wink:

To be serious however, don't feel badly about voicing your opinions or feelings. What you are describing is felt by many, PTSD or no. We also have a shortage of "native" doctors here in Canada, with many hailing from Great Britain, India, Pakistan, China and so on. With recent terrorist activities it is difficult to trust, however as Bec says, trust is to be earned, regardless of race or nationality. It is easy to generalize based on the country one hails from, but I believe we must try to be open. Hailing from a certain foreign country does not make one a bad person or a terrorist automatically. I believe the majority of foreign doctors are good people who are simply trying to make a new better life for themselves. As long as they learn to speak English decently and also learn our customs, I have no issues with them. There are good and bad amongst them, the same as with Canadian born doctors. Evie's oncologist is a Muslim from Pakistan, and he is one of the best doctors she's ever had. Conversely, she's had more than one Canadian born doctor who should not even have a license to practice medicine in my opinion!

I believe it's important to remember that one of the goals of terrorists is to cultivate mistrust and prejudice in the general population. So although it's difficult at times, my opinion is that while we should not trust until that trust is earned, we should also give individuals the benefit of the doubt. A delicate balance no doubt but one I am personally striving for.
 
Kathy, are you willing to give the benefit of doubt when it comes to caring for your health or that of your unborn child if seeing an OB? what if you have a major anxiety disorder as most here do? Just asking.
 
Oh most certainly not veiled, if I did not trust a doctor for whatever reason, I would not go to that individual. However, my point is, I would not base my mistrust of a physician on the fact that s/he came from a foreign country. It would be based instead on how I was treated, and their expertise. At least that is what I strive for, to not judge people soley on appearance alone.

I don't pretend to understand how difficult it is to live with an anxiety disorder such as PTSD. I can see where certain things would be triggering, and I honestly have no idea how disturbing that must feel. However it is my personal belief that regardless of having an anxiety disorder, or any illness or disability for that matter, one must learn to live in the world, to the best of one's ability. I have a nephew who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. If he let his paranoia get the better of him, he would hide at home and never go out. However his family has encouraged him to be part of things, he works hard, and he is doing splendidly well, all things considering. That is my ultimate wish for Evie, and also for my grandson who has autism. Feeling a part of things as much as they are able, rather than different from.

I apologize if my words offended, that was not my intention at all, simply my opinion.
 
No, not offensive. An opinion. Just as I am sure the first post meant to be is probe peoples' minds. I admitted in my past females from over seas I had no issue with (though check the news and it was a major female player). But women seem to understand better and are not so judgmental from my experience. Men, nope. But still just females better to deal with and understand me. a lot of men I think come over with ideas they did not leave at the border.

Being a doctor is not learning to live in the world though. Hell, your nephew has one up on me getting out. I am doing well moving to go to in laws and docs. I even got in to a bit of an argument with the insurance company yesterday since they said they could not hold a policy on me without me having a license in this state. I said fine drop me if my TX is not enough. they said no go hubs cannot be insured since i am an adult in the home... Hmmm i said well i don't drive since i am medicated so get over it or drop us. i drove once (insured) in 7 months. Still waiting. I am being punished with my family for having a condition.

I know i am different and don't fight it, I am just looking for my niche. Being different is not bad and one day i ill get better than now. I have a unique outlook and try to see my "problem" as my "gift". We all have a place. but in the US there is not an overwhelming demand for docs. I would see backed up appointments in Canada or health care workers in Africa as a need, but here half the phone book is docs of every sort. People are not moving here to be docs for humanitarian reasons. Far from it.
 
but in the US there is not an overwhelming demand for docs. I would see backed up appointments in Canada or health care workers in Africa as a need, but here half the phone book is docs of every sort. People are not moving here to be docs for humanitarian reasons. Far from it.

You raise a good point veiled. Definitely a health care shortage here. Basically, must take what we can get and be grateful for it. If there is no shortage of physicians in your country and foreign doctors are still abundant, perhaps your government's immigration policies need amending.

Jim.
 
Surely this is more to do with the total disregard of the Hippocratic Oath rather than the colour or creed of the doctors concerned? Isn't that why its so shocking that doctors are apparently involved?

As for only trusting doctors from your own country? that's pretty ridiculous to me in my opinion. The doctors in my country that I have had trouble with have been with white, middle class, English doctors. Mostly because they were prima donnas or just plain incompetent. So what does that tell me? That all white, middle class doctors are the same? None are to be trusted? That all muslims are terrorists? All men are rapists? Come on?!
 
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Making a travesty of the Hippocratic Oath is what really shocks me about all this, too, Claire. It's one thing to masquerade as an engineer or something, but doctors??!?!? That's what I keep thinking about, anyway.
 
I agree with Claire and Cathy, I don't think I could look at a Dr. and by their religion or color of skin say that I don't want to see them. Maybe on their ability to speak and understand English and their bedside manner but we are all individuals and not one of us is the same. My OBGYN was a male, trusted him with 2 of my children and he is the only person I would trust with that we always had a great relationship through both pregnancies and a miscarriage and I adore him. It is his personality, I saw that he loved what he did and he was good at it and he would never put me or my baby at risk and I was sold.

I have had some crappy Dr's in my day and I don't know how many were white, black, brown but if I didn't like them it wasn't for that reason. I think we need to all get over this race thing, it is so bogus!

Monica
 
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