Comments on: Ohad Oren wants to preserve the beauty of medicine http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/12/ohad-oren-wants-to-preserve-the-beauty-of-medicine/ Just another blogs.bmj.com weblog Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:12:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ross Kirkbride http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/12/ohad-oren-wants-to-preserve-the-beauty-of-medicine/#comment-3576 Ross Kirkbride Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:27:07 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=558#comment-3576 'You are crowned king...' - I am suspicious that anyone who sees themselves as hospital royalty will serve their ego rather than the patient. We are all aware that status is one factor among many that attracts us to medicine, and we all know doctors who have let their expertise and power erode their character. Let us stay aware of that. ‘You are crowned king…’ - I am suspicious that anyone who sees themselves as hospital royalty will serve their ego rather than the patient. We are all aware that status is one factor among many that attracts us to medicine, and we all know doctors who have let their expertise and power erode their character. Let us stay aware of that.

]]> By: Maria Sheinfeld http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/12/ohad-oren-wants-to-preserve-the-beauty-of-medicine/#comment-3563 Maria Sheinfeld Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:22:58 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=558#comment-3563 Every now and then I read in newspapers about so-called medical practitioners who use their charisma, communication skills and innate talent of persuasion to actually abuse people in their society. The last such case I can remember involves the Nigerian 'Witchdoctor' who convinced parents "that their children are possessed and will bring misfortune such as divorce or disease". He went on to take from those parents money for performing exorcisms. You can read about it in the "Telegraph": http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/3546939/Nigerian-witchdoctor-claims-to-have-killed-110-children-possessed-by-evil-spirits.html Is this troublesome phenomenon an avoidable one? And if so, how? Every now and then I read in newspapers about so-called medical practitioners who use their charisma, communication skills and innate talent of persuasion to actually abuse people in their society. The last such case I can remember involves the Nigerian ‘Witchdoctor’ who convinced parents “that their children are possessed and will bring misfortune such as divorce or disease”. He went on to take from those parents money for performing exorcisms.

You can read about it in the “Telegraph”:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/3546939/Nigerian-witchdoctor-claims-to-have-killed-110-children-possessed-by-evil-spirits.html

Is this troublesome phenomenon an avoidable one? And if so, how?

]]> By: Bashir Hassan http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/12/ohad-oren-wants-to-preserve-the-beauty-of-medicine/#comment-3551 Bashir Hassan Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:32:33 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=558#comment-3551 Dear Ohad, Thanks for your interesting piece. But are similar attempts to improvise always doomed to fail? And may creative ideas, based on a person's intuition only, one-sidedly be considered an ignorant's uncontributory thinking? Or maybe some wisdom may be extracted from experimental "trials"? For it is every new innovation that must have its roots at some earlier steps, those are required to define the concept of "evidence-based medicine"? Where does the limit stand between the logical reasoning behind an experimental concept that is researched and far-fetched deliberations that should not be ethically allowed to be researched on human beings? What are your contemplations about those issues? Dear Ohad,
Thanks for your interesting piece.

But are similar attempts to improvise always doomed to fail? And may creative ideas, based on a person’s intuition only, one-sidedly be considered an ignorant’s uncontributory thinking? Or maybe some wisdom may be extracted from experimental “trials”? For it is every new innovation that must have its roots at some earlier steps, those are required to define the concept of “evidence-based medicine”? Where does the limit stand between the logical reasoning behind an experimental concept that is researched and far-fetched deliberations that should not be ethically allowed to be researched on human beings?
What are your contemplations about those issues?

]]> By: Miranda http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/12/ohad-oren-wants-to-preserve-the-beauty-of-medicine/#comment-3540 Miranda Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:11:01 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=558#comment-3540 The piece made me think. Medicine is a fertile field for charlatans. Pretending to have healing powers may lead desperate patients on. Consenting to being treated by a self confessed “expert” is something I could easily see myself doing in similar circumstances. But what might discourage frauds from maiming innocent people and keep such “imitators” outside the circle of care providers? The piece made me think. Medicine is a fertile field for charlatans. Pretending to have healing powers may lead desperate patients on. Consenting to being treated by a self confessed “expert” is something I could easily see myself doing in similar circumstances. But what might discourage frauds from maiming innocent people and keep such “imitators” outside the circle of care providers?

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