Should You Trust Your Doctor?
- Posted on: Aug 27 2013
Here is my latest article on CNN.com. It’s inspired by a recent local story about a hematologist who allegedly misdiagnosed patients with cancer so he could charge for their chemotherapy.
Most of us assume that our doctors are trustworthy. They undergo a minimum of seven years of postgraduate schooling, pass rigorous tests and are responsible for our health and the health of our families.
But are they as trustworthy as we think?
A Michigan oncologist was arrested recently for allegedly running a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud Medicare. He’s accused of administering chemotherapy to patients with no real chance of survival and misdiagnosing patients in order to charge for their expensive treatments.
And earlier this month an Ohio spine surgeon was indicted on charges that he persuaded patients to undergo millions of dollars worth of treatments that they didn’t need. Among the things he allegedly told patients was that their heads would fall off without his operation.
While these egregious stories are truly shocking and uncommon, there are unfortunately many less dramatic examples of untrustworthy doctors that don’t make big news. My field of cosmetic plastic surgery has its share of doctors who don’t necessarily place their patients’ best interests first. I encounter these patients’ subsequent problems nearly every week.
To read the rest of the article, click HERE to go to the CNN.com page.
Tagged with: ASAPS, board-certification, botched plastic surgery, doctors, trustworthy
Posted in: Dr. Anthony Youn in the Media