Credibility & Prestige In Medicine: How Are They Measured?

In my last blog post I discussed how harmful physician “thought leaders” can be when they are dismissive of the value of other specialists’ care. I must have touched a nerve, because a passionate discussion followed in the comments section. It seems that physicians (who spend most of their time involved in clinical work) are growing tired of the leadership decisions of those who engage in little to no patient care. Clinicians urge lawmakers to turn to practicing physicians for counsel, because those who are out of touch with patients lack real credibility as advisers. Interestingly, the credibility question was raised in a different light when I  was recently contacted by a prestigious medical organization that was seeking expansion of its board membership. I presumed that this was a personal invitation to join the cause, but soon realized that the caller wanted to use my influence to locate “more credible” candidates with academic gravitas. When I asked what sort of candidate they wanted my help to find, the response was: “A physician with an academic appointment at a name brand medical school. Someone who isn’t crazy – you know, they have to be respected by their peers. Someone at Harvard or Columbia would be great. You must know someone from your training program at least.” While I appreciated the honesty, I began thinking about the age-old “town versus gown” hostilities inspired by academic elitism. In med...
Source: Better Health - Category: American Health Authors: Tags: Opinion True Stories Academia Credentials Credibility healthcare KOLs Medicine Physicians Prejudice Prestige Thought Leaders Town Versus Gown Source Type: blogs