Paranoia

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The White Coat Investor

The White Coat Investor

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  1. Attending Physician
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Does anyone think it would be wise to change my username now that I am on active duty? It would be a simple matter to identify me simply by searching my previous posts on SDN. Am I being overly paranoid? It isn't like I'm hiding Osama, but I'm clearly not Mr. Positive about HPSP/Military Medicine.
 
Desperado said:
Does anyone think it would be wise to change my username now that I am on active duty? It would be a simple matter to identify me simply by searching my previous posts on SDN. Am I being overly paranoid? It isn't like I'm hiding Osama, but I'm clearly not Mr. Positive about HPSP/Military Medicine.
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i didn't bother, but maybe i'm not paranoid enough.
 
Desperado said:
Does anyone think it would be wise to change my username now that I am on active duty? It would be a simple matter to identify me simply by searching my previous posts on SDN. Am I being overly paranoid? It isn't like I'm hiding Osama, but I'm clearly not Mr. Positive about HPSP/Military Medicine.
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It is impossible to be too paranoid while on Active Duty. Your e-mails from work *are* read. Your phone calls from work *are* listened to. Like diamonds and herpes, internet posts are forever. Some commander somewhere could tell some functionary to Google you for dirt because you had the audacity to insist on appropriate patient care.

Of course, some think that I don't have high "moral" vs. ethical standards, so what do I know?

--
R
 
I didn't and from what I've said it would be no trouble to find out who I am from what I've revealed in my posts. But to be honest, as long as I don't reveal inappropriate information, I feel it's ok. I've been very forthright to my superiors letting them know the very feelings I've expressed here.
 
resxn said:
I didn't and from what I've said it would be no trouble to find out who I am from what I've revealed in my posts. But to be honest, as long as I don't reveal inappropriate information, I feel it's ok. I've been very forthright to my superiors letting them know the very feelings I've expressed here.
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How much longer do you have?? They could seriuosly screw with you with the most minor of trumped up charges because you have spoken the truth. If jaywalking, and walking out of a meeting unexused can be used as part of my involuntary separation, the sky is the limit.
 
an involuntary separation is not necessarily the worst thing that could happen. I've got 273 more days. I've already lined up my civilian job and they'd be happy to start me early if I was available.

As far as the jaywalking thing goes, I was told not to cross the street there on my very first day because I'd get an LOR. I didn't even know what an LOR was. Then I heard about you and your misery here and elsewhere. I'm closer to your experience than you might have imagined.
 
resxn said:
an involuntary separation is not necessarily the worst thing that could happen. I've got 273 more days. I've already lined up my civilian job and they'd be happy to start me early if I was available.

As far as the jaywalking thing goes, I was told not to cross the street there on my very first day because I'd get an LOR. I didn't even know what an LOR was. Then I heard about you and your misery here and elsewhere. I'm closer to your experience than you might have imagined.
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Sad to hear I'm in legendary status. The cun@ who was the squadron commander there when I was helped to bury that place into the ground. Once a regional full service hospital down to an outpatient clinic in a matter of less than 5 years. Its really sad. I met some real good people there, but that system can chew you up and spit you out unless you are a motionless robot.

I remember one of the most contencious events was when the temporary squadron commander, a 5 foot tall midget who had been kicked out of the surgical residency at Wilford Hall, and somehow squeeked into ophtalmology and nearly got kicked out of that, had the balls to tell me that I could not consult the two gastroenterologists that I had come to trust because of competence and communication. That I had to put the consult and let some receptionist choose from a list in the area whom I would not necessarily know, or even know when the appointment would be. I put my foot down at that with much greif, and told them I was not letting a receptionist take part in my practice of medicine. That place was made a living hell to me by a few people.

Incidently, that crosswalk was used by merely putting up a sign for convenience when they were constructing the fence, and the sidewalk was not usable. Is there a pair of boots hanging by the electricity wire at that entrance still there?? Someone told me they were placed there by an admirer.
 
The boots are still there. They havn't been removed yet.

Also, I was told the same thing when I arrived that I couldn't choose the sub-specialist that I felt was appropriate. For example, I had a guy that needed a revision of a revision of a revision for a tumor of his ear. I requested a specific guy--actually the only guy in the state--qualified to do that surgery. TriCare said nope. We pick the consultant not you. I actually had a TriCare lady call me and ask what the difference was between a fellowship trained MD and a board-certified MD.

I lost it at the point when they referred the pt to a general ENT doc who did see the patient and like me agreed the only one who could take care of the pt was the doc I originally wanted the pt to see. I essentially put in the patient's chart that I deemed it harmful to the patient if he is sent to any other provider. Finally, we've been able to change to policy and can name the consultant we want the patient to see as long as they are in-network. That brings a whole new set of challenges, because unless you're in a federally funded institution like the university and are required to by law, why the heck would you accept TriCare when they reimburse lower than Medicaid?
 
Both the GI guys were in network providers at Creighton Univesity.

Another problem that happens in the military, is that the trials and tribulations we go through, and sometimes solve, will inevitably happen to another doc, when a new and equally ignorant commander takes over. Not always, but inevitably.
 
resxn said:
I essentially put in the patient's chart that I deemed it harmful to the patient if he is sent to any other provider. Finally, we've been able to change to policy and can name the consultant we want the patient to see as long as they are in-network.
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At the risk of offending the "morality" police, can I have your baby?

--
R
 
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resxn,

You should tell the surgeons there about this forum. I know two of them unless V got out this summer.
 
Galo, V and R both left. Don't know if you knew R. V went North and R went East to practice. Only 2 gs left here now. In fact, when I started the department had 9 surgoens, when I leave next summer there will be only 3, 2 gen surg, 1 ortho.
 
resxn said:
Galo, V and R both left. Don't know if you knew R. V went North and R went East to practice. Only 2 gs left here now. In fact, when I started the department had 9 surgoens, when I leave next summer there will be only 3, 2 gen surg, 1 ortho.
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What a waste of resources when you have 3 subspecilists at a place where they cannot do surgery. The association I made with Creighton at great personal sacrifice, and kept only by V, I'm sure is gone.

The best thing that ever happened to me there was my 3 years of work at Creighton University, and my association with their surgeons who were my teachers. All of which after 3 years was attempted to be smeared by ignorant malicious people. But that's a story not yet told here.
 
The remaining 2 gs are really good guys and actually still do a lot of surgery there. I think V was involved the most, but these guys are still taking trauma call there as well.
 
Glad to see the road I paved is still being used. But shortly it will not, as I doubt they will continue to place surgeons there, but would not surprise me if they did.
 
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