Question with a non-definitive answer...

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HH Holmes

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Lowly premie here to ask a question to you gas guys... I've been calling/emailing a few local gas private practice groups in my area to shadow before I head off to college, and I'm phone conferencing with the head of a local practice. I don't want to seem dumb on the phone, and I've googled this multiple times -- I get different answers with every link.

What clientele do anesthesia private practice groups cater to?

Do they work in hospitals? Surgi centers?

I know each group and location is different, but a generalization will do for my purposes.

Thanks, guys (and gals)... Much appreciated.
 
I don't understand why all this matters when all you wish to do is shadow.

They cater to all pt populations, I guess it depends on location.

Surgicenters or Hospitals, or both... I guess depends on practice set-up

Just tell them you are about to start med school, are interested in anesthesiology, want to see what they do and why they chose said specialty, etc. Of course, not having even started med school, what you want to do now very well may change after 2-3 years of med school under your belt. I will tell you this much, going in I was thinking surgery, after shadowing an anesthesiologist the summer b/w M1 and M2, I switched to anesthesiology and followed-up on it with several rotations... loved every single moment of it.
 
I don't understand why all this matters when all you wish to do is shadow.

They cater to all pt populations, I guess it depends on location.

Surgicenters or Hospitals, or both... I guess depends on practice set-up

Thanks... I was wondering why a hospital might need them if they have their own gas attendings.


Of course, not having even started med school, what you want to do now very well may change after 2-3 years of med school under your belt. I will tell you this much, going in I was thinking surgery, after shadowing an anesthesiologist the summer b/w M1 and M2, I switched to anesthesiology and followed-up on it with several rotations... loved every single moment of it.

Yeah. I'm not trying to be like every pre-med delcaring a specialty before they set foot in med school... I'm simply trying to get a taste before I enter school so I can get some preliminary views on each. Gas seems interesting to me, but in reality so do three or four other specialties. I'm currently shadowing a P&R surgeon, I've shadowed an ED physician and hopefully this summer I can shadow gas and maybe some IM sub like endo or gastro.

Thanks for the help, hopefully the group goes to interesting places.
 
Thanks... I was wondering why a hospital might need them if they have their own gas attendings.




Yeah. I'm not trying to be like every pre-med delcaring a specialty before they set foot in med school... I'm simply trying to get a taste before I enter school so I can get some preliminary views on each. Gas seems interesting to me, but in reality so do three or four other specialties. I'm currently shadowing a P&R surgeon, I've shadowed an ED physician and hopefully this summer I can shadow gas and maybe some IM sub like endo or gastro.

Thanks for the help, hopefully the group goes to interesting places.


Just a friendly FYI that some anesthesiologists get a bad taste in their mouth when people call their specialty "gas." Fine for an informal internet forum, but I wouldn't throw the term around too much when you're setting up shadowing opportunities.
 
Just a friendly FYI that some anesthesiologists get a bad taste in their mouth when people call their specialty "gas." Fine for an informal internet forum, but I wouldn't throw the term around too much when you're setting up shadowing opportunities.

Thanks for the tip! I just end up typing "gas" instead of anesthesia because I'm usually on my BlackBerry and it's just a whole lot easier 😛

Oh and +1 for the Buster Bluth avatar.
 
Lowly premie here to ask a question to you gas guys... I've been calling/emailing a few local gas private practice groups in my area to shadow before I head off to college, and I'm phone conferencing with the head of a local practice. I don't want to seem dumb on the phone, and I've googled this multiple times -- I get different answers with every link.

What clientele do anesthesia private practice groups cater to?

Do they work in hospitals? Surgi centers?

I know each group and location is different, but a generalization will do for my purposes.

Thanks, guys (and gals)... Much appreciated.

you are still in high school? wow, getting a real early start
 
you are still in high school? wow, getting a real early start

Heh, I guess so. I shadowed an ED doc from late 2009 to early 2010, and now I'm with a P&R surgeon. Since I'm taking a break from research over the summer I'm trying to find another doctor or two I can shadow once or twice per week and get some more exposure.
 
Heh, I guess so. I shadowed an ED doc from late 2009 to early 2010, and now I'm with a P&R surgeon. Since I'm taking a break from research over the summer I'm trying to find another doctor or two I can shadow once or twice per week and get some more exposure.

Research and doc shadowing in high school? Kids just don't get to be kids anymore.

There is plenty of time to work the rest of your life...
 
Research and doc shadowing in high school? Kids just don't get to be kids anymore.

There is plenty of time to work the rest of your life...

I do have a life and I am a kid! But I also know the importance of work and I actually enjoy it. I would have to say the most defining moment of my life was when I went to El Salvador on a medical volunteer trip. Put a lot of things in perspective, especially for a youngin' like myself.
 
I do have a life and I am a kid! But I also know the importance of work and I actually enjoy it. I would have to say the most defining moment of my life was when I went to El Salvador on a medical volunteer trip. Put a lot of things in perspective, especially for a youngin' like myself.

Still, it very unlikely you need to be finding shadowing opportunities this early. You won't be practicing medicine for over 8 years.

You actually are harming your chances because you will not be well rounded.

Be social. Find hobbies. Don't try to shadow as a high school student, or even a freshman in college for that matter. Low yield.

To do: Find activities that are non-medical/scholastic that you enjoy.

EDIT: lol, just realized this is in the residency forum and not pre-med. Dude, what are you doing? Go enjoy your time before med school / residency.
 
Still, it very unlikely you need to be finding shadowing opportunities this early. You won't be practicing medicine for over 8 years.

You actually are harming your chances because you will not be well rounded.

Be social. Find hobbies. Don't try to shadow as a high school student, or even a freshman in college for that matter. Low yield.

To do: Find activities that are non-medical/scholastic that you enjoy.

EDIT: lol, just realized this is in the residency forum and not pre-med. Dude, what are you doing? Go enjoy your time before med school / residency.

Well it kinda started out as a question for the anesthesia forum and took another path. Sorry 😳
 
just tell me what town you are from in long island and i will tell you everything about yourself.
 
just tell me what town you are from in long island and i will tell you everything about yourself.

I'll pass for two reasons... One, I don't know you and two, I am a very atypical resident of my town. Plus, the cluster of towns and villages around mine are quite the same. If it weren't for the school name printed on every Land Rover rear windshield, lacrosse jersey or t-shirt you couldn't tell one mindless, arrogant idiot from another.
 
Well it kinda started out as a question for the anesthesia forum and took another path. Sorry 😳

Don't be sorry! Get off SDN.

Develop a basic plan to get into medical school and then get off SDN! Nothing good can come of you being on this site so early and then also only trying to find more extra curriculars for medicine. This site will make you more neurotic and you will be so one sided it will be sad.

Good luck.
 
just tell me what town you are from in long island and i will tell you everything about yourself.

I'll play that game. But first, let's hear your town... 😉
 
Don't be sorry! Get off SDN.

Develop a basic plan to get into medical school and then get off SDN! Nothing good can come of you being on this site so early and then also only trying to find more extra curriculars for medicine. This site will make you more neurotic and you will be so one sided it will be sad.

Good luck.

Second That! I'm starting 3rd year of medical school and agree w/ MCAT -- this site will make you more neurotic than you already are about getting into med school...

DON'T PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE

You might ruin what is a very good future in medicine if you start analyzing every "what-if" about your dream career at this stage.

From my standpoint, my best advice to you:

1) I agree with MCAT- get off SDN and don't come back until you start applying to schools (and then, ONLY visit the Pre-med forums)

2) Agree with the idea that shadowing is low yield. Instead, The absolute BEST favor you could do for yourself that would help your chances, perspective, experience, and access to MD's, is to get qualified as an EMT & get a job in an ER and work the long night shifts. You will be amazed at how medically savvy you will be and it will prepare you for med-school as much as undergrad years.

There, I've done given you a lecture on life like my old man used to.
 
I'll pass for two reasons... One, I don't know you and two, I am a very atypical resident of my town.

"Atypical", my ass.

I'm white, 6', 180lbs, wear an aloha shirt every day, and have a red BMW. I live in Waipahu, HI (HEAVILY native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Micronesian), which is acclaimed to be "ghetto" (and, so, as such, I REALLY stand out) - and you still wouldn't be able to find me - online or in person.

With - literally - millions of people on Long Island, do you really think that you are such a unique snowflake that by saying you lived in Hicksville or Bay Shore or Montauk or Ronkonkoma is really going to give you away? Even if you said you lived on Oak Street in Sayville, still, so what?

Really?
 
"Atypical", my ass.

I'm white, 6', 180lbs, wear an aloha shirt every day, and have a red BMW. I live in Waipahu, HI (HEAVILY native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Micronesian), which is acclaimed to be "ghetto" (and, so, as such, I REALLY stand out) - and you still wouldn't be able to find me - online or in person.

With - literally - millions of people on Long Island, do you really think that you are such a unique snowflake that by saying you lived in Hicksville or Bay Shore or Montauk or Ronkonkoma is really going to give you away? Even if you said you lived on Oak Street in Sayville, still, so what?

Really?

Dr. Apollyon,

Can I observe you in HAWAII!!! Never been HA!

I'll let you OP respond, but I don't think he/she was so much worried and self-centered about being caught and found out as much as he/she didn't want to be classified as the "typical" resident of Syosset or Five Towns etc. I grew up in a town on North Shore that when people hear it, they say, "Oh, you're from THERE. You must be...XYZ". And it annoys me as well.

Mostly because they are spot on. 😛

D712
 
"Atypical", my ass.

I'm white, 6', 180lbs, wear an aloha shirt every day, and have a red BMW. I live in Waipahu, HI (HEAVILY native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Micronesian), which is acclaimed to be "ghetto" (and, so, as such, I REALLY stand out) - and you still wouldn't be able to find me - online or in person.

With - literally - millions of people on Long Island, do you really think that you are such a unique snowflake that by saying you lived in Hicksville or Bay Shore or Montauk or Ronkonkoma is really going to give you away? Even if you said you lived on Oak Street in Sayville, still, so what?

Really?

Not to be rude, but why does it matter where I live? It has absolutely no effect on you, and I don't need some random person telling me all about myself.

And trust me, I am atypical in my town. Like every other affluent long island town, every dad is an orthopedic surgeon, banker or lawyer who drives a BMW, Mercedes or Audi. Their stay at home wives drive Escalades, Land Rovers or Suburbans yet they have two kids which don't need a third row of seating. Kids in my school also drive BMWs, Land Rovers and play lacrosse and drink every weekend and post the same pictures holding red cups every night on facebook. If you're from long island, chances are this describes YOUR town, as it basically outlines most of my surrounding area.

Literally this thread was a simple question. I didn't ask for life tips, nor do I need some random member telling me about myself -- I'm pretty sure I know myself damn well, but hey, if I need your help, I'll be sure to PM you 😉 Ya know, just in case I go blind or I get amnesia and need some visual imagery or reminding of my name. It seems that every other post I make everyone hops on the "**** on the high schooler train".

Sorry for ranting -- it just gets annoying.

Anyway, I am not neurotic about getting into school. I am very comfortable with not gaining acceptance (even though I am in a dual degree program) if I don't meet the set requirements. I don't go on here to ask "GIMME MY CHANCES" or "WHAT UNDERGRAD MAJOR IS BEST FOR MED SCHOOL" or "I WANNA BE A PEDS NEUROSURGEON, I HAVE A 2.31 GPA CAN I GET INTO HOPKINS?" questions. Mainly, I lurk and learn -- and I've actually learned a lot, and I enjoy that. I really only started posting a month ago when I was accepted and had questions.
 
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Not to be rude, but why does it matter where I live? It has absolutely no effect on you, and I don't need some random person telling me all about myself.

And trust me, I am atypical in my town. Like every other affluent long island town, every dad is an orthopedic surgeon, banker or lawyer who drives a BMW, Mercedes or Audi. Their stay at home wives drive Escalades, Land Rovers or Suburbans yet they have two kids which don't need a third row of seating. Kids in my school also drive BMWs, Land Rovers and play lacrosse and drink every weekend and post the same pictures holding red cups every night on facebook. If you're from long island, chances are this describes YOUR town, as it basically outlines most of my surrounding area.

Literally this thread was a simple question. I didn't ask for life tips, nor do I need some random member telling me about myself -- I'm pretty sure I know myself damn well, but hey, if I need your help, I'll be sure to PM you 😉 Ya know, just in case I go blind or I get amnesia and need some visual imagery or reminding of my name. It seems that every other post I make everyone hops on the "**** on the high schooler train".

Sorry for ranting -- it just gets annoying.

Anyway, I am not neurotic about getting into school. I am very comfortable with not gaining acceptance (even though I am in a dual degree program) if I don't meet the set requirements. I don't go on here to ask "GIMME MY CHANCES" or "WHAT UNDERGRAD MAJOR IS BEST FOR MED SCHOOL" or "I WANNA BE A PEDS NEUROSURGEON, I HAVE A 2.31 GPA CAN I GET INTO HOPKINS?" questions. Mainly, I lurk and learn -- and I've actually learned a lot, and I enjoy that. I really only started posting a month ago when I was accepted and had questions.

Wow. Imagine when you actually apply to medical school and you list off your ridiculous amount of shadowing and research starting from when you were 14 years old. I think the admissions people would think you are kind of weird! I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but I really do agree with the other posters, you should do things in a more normal and natural fashion and progression. I really don't know what kind of doc would even be agreeable to have high school kids shadowing, but I guess you have found some already, so good job.
 
Thanks for the advice, everyone. Much appreciated 🙂
 
Not to be rude, but why does it matter where I live? It has absolutely no effect on you, and I don't need some random person telling me all about myself.

And trust me, I am atypical in my town. Like every other affluent long island town, every dad is an orthopedic surgeon, banker or lawyer who drives a BMW, Mercedes or Audi. Their stay at home wives drive Escalades, Land Rovers or Suburbans yet they have two kids which don't need a third row of seating. Kids in my school also drive BMWs, Land Rovers and play lacrosse and drink every weekend and post the same pictures holding red cups every night on facebook. If you're from long island, chances are this describes YOUR town, as it basically outlines most of my surrounding area.

Literally this thread was a simple question. I didn't ask for life tips, nor do I need some random member telling me about myself -- I'm pretty sure I know myself damn well, but hey, if I need your help, I'll be sure to PM you 😉 Ya know, just in case I go blind or I get amnesia and need some visual imagery or reminding of my name. It seems that every other post I make everyone hops on the "**** on the high schooler train".

Sorry for ranting -- it just gets annoying.

Anyway, I am not neurotic about getting into school. I am very comfortable with not gaining acceptance (even though I am in a dual degree program) if I don't meet the set requirements. I don't go on here to ask "GIMME MY CHANCES" or "WHAT UNDERGRAD MAJOR IS BEST FOR MED SCHOOL" or "I WANNA BE A PEDS NEUROSURGEON, I HAVE A 2.31 GPA CAN I GET INTO HOPKINS?" questions. Mainly, I lurk and learn -- and I've actually learned a lot, and I enjoy that. I really only started posting a month ago when I was accepted and had questions.

FWIW, you seem like a perfectly reasonable dude, and particularly mature for your age. You've certainly handled the ribbing better than most adults on this forum would.

I think what most people are trying to say (in various manners), isn't that you shouldn't shadow, but that you need to prioritize it appropriately. In your case, it should be fairly low. For instance, I wouldn't cut into any sports/exercising, clubs, socializing, personal hobbies to shadow. If you have extra time after all that, by all means shadow away. It's just that most people don't have that much extra time.

If you stick with the medical path, you'll be spending plenty of time in hospitals. I think very few people (in any field) would look back and say "Oh man, I wish I had spent more time shadowing a doctor instead of playing all that pickup basketball and going to all those parties and helping Habitat for Humanity and playing all that HALO."

Just some things to consider, take it for what it's worth.
 
yeah dude, when talking to people on the phone or in person don't use the term gas, don't say ummmmm or uhhhhhh or like and you should be fine.


As for clientele, if it's a surgical center in a rich area then it can look like the office in Nip/Tuck, if it's a county hospital in a city then it can be homeless people or poor old people or really sick dying people. So basically we deal with anyone and everyone who needs to have some kind of surgical procedure, from newborns to geriatric patients.
 
Again, thanks for all the help everyone and for not treating me like everyone else seems to on SDN...

I figured I wouldn't waste another thread with this question, since it seems like most of you are either anesthesiologists, or up to date with field...

Do you guys (and girls) feel that NPs, DNPs and C-RNAs are encroaching on the anesthesia field and that in 5,10,15,20 years MDs and DOs will be nearly "kicked out" of the field? When I first heard this argument for fields like anesthesia, derm and psych I thought no way, but I've been reading a lot of articles and posts people have been posting over the last three weeks or so, and the evidence seems a little overwhelming.

Thoughts? I'm just curious on what people think, not looking to incite a major debate or argument.
 
Do you guys (and girls) feel that NPs, DNPs and C-RNAs are encroaching on the anesthesia field and that in 5,10,15,20 years MDs and DOs will be nearly "kicked out" of the field?

I don't think MDAs will be kicked out, but we may be squeezed real tight. I think it's imperative for MDAs to be able to demonstrate their value in some way. For some this may be a fellowship, although I don't think that's a panacea.

I take the 'sky is falling' rhetoric with a grain of salt. People were saying many of the same things 20 years ago. Which is one of the reasons why anesthesia became incredibly uncompetitive in the late 90s. You may have noticed, we're still here.
 
I don't think MDAs will be kicked out, but we may be squeezed real tight. I think it's imperative for MDAs to be able to demonstrate their value in some way. For some this may be a fellowship, although I don't think that's a panacea.

I take the 'sky is falling' rhetoric with a grain of salt. People were saying many of the same things 20 years ago. Which is one of the reasons why anesthesia became incredibly uncompetitive in the late 90s. You may have noticed, we're still here.

True. But aren't there only three accredited fellowships in anesthesia (CCM, Cardio and OB)? Do you think competition will go up for these due to mid-levels encroaching? Or will more fellowships be created for other subspecialties (peds, neonatal? I have no idea)?

Medicine politics are ever changing it seems and it will be interesting to see where it shifts over the next few years due to the health care reforms and such.
 
"Atypical", my ass.

I'm white, 6', 180lbs, wear an aloha shirt every day, and have a red BMW. I live in Waipahu, HI (HEAVILY native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Micronesian), which is acclaimed to be "ghetto" (and, so, as such, I REALLY stand out) - and you still wouldn't be able to find me - online or in person.

With - literally - millions of people on Long Island, do you really think that you are such a unique snowflake that by saying you lived in Hicksville or Bay Shore or Montauk or Ronkonkoma is really going to give you away? Even if you said you lived on Oak Street in Sayville, still, so what?

Really?

i kinda agre with jchait. for example, and i'm not saying this to anger you, but: by throwing a few search terms into google- things that you have mentioned repeatedly on this forum- i found your name and a profile of you on a dating site. you are indeed wearing a dark colored hawaiian shirt. you are taking the picture of yourself, in a bathroom, maybe? you have a somewhat unfortunate last name. there is an unflattering physician review of you regarding a patient who was in an mvc who felt that you were joking with nurses too much. i'm not trying to be harsh here, i'm just listing what i found online with a quick search.
 
i kinda agre with jchait. for example, and i'm not saying this to anger you, but: by throwing a few search terms into google- things that you have mentioned repeatedly on this forum- i found your name and a profile of you on a dating site. you are indeed wearing a dark colored hawaiian shirt. you are taking the picture of yourself, in a bathroom, maybe? you have a somewhat unfortunate last name. there is an unflattering physician review of you regarding a patient who was in an mvc who felt that you were joking with nurses too much. i'm not trying to be harsh here, i'm just listing what i found online with a quick search.

Hey, cool! Although I don't find my name to be "unfortunate". However, as I search, I'm not finding the same things as you are, and I know the answers. And I wonder if you were lurking for a LONG time, as you've only been on SDN as a member for 3 months. Likewise is that your searching for me post constitutes 25% of your posting output.

Still, even if you can find out stuff about me, you can't find me.
 
"Atypical", my ass.

I'm white, 6', 180lbs, wear an aloha shirt every day, and have a red BMW. I live in Waipahu, HI (HEAVILY native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Micronesian), which is acclaimed to be "ghetto" (and, so, as such, I REALLY stand out) - and you still wouldn't be able to find me - online or in person.

With - literally - millions of people on Long Island, do you really think that you are such a unique snowflake that by saying you lived in Hicksville or Bay Shore or Montauk or Ronkonkoma is really going to give you away? Even if you said you lived on Oak Street in Sayville, still, so what?

Really?

I kinda agree with the OP. For example, I worked with you when you were a resident. I don't even remember how or when I figured that out, but it wasn't that hard for me to do. People sometimes let things slip in online posts that make them identifiable to people that know them. If somebody is anal about protecting their anonymity, I can't fault them.
 
So I shall qualify my earlier statement. You can find me online, but you can't find me in person. I ran into a security guard one day at the Ala Moana Center, and the daughter of a Micronesian patient at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, but, in my tightly populated area, I still don't see the patients regularly. I only ran into one patient at my last job.

Actually, there is a chance you could find me in person. However, that would require a lot of waiting, or a lot of money to pay someone reliable to observe when I get there.

At the same time, fine. I just don't want someone to show up at my door and shoot me in the face. I would certainly like to think I'm more interesting than the average person, but I'm just another guy. If someone wants to take such an interest in me that they waste their own time in their own lives to look for me, that is no time cost to me, but to them.
 
True. But aren't there only three accredited fellowships in anesthesia (CCM, Cardio and OB)? Do you think competition will go up for these due to mid-levels encroaching? Or will more fellowships be created for other subspecialties (peds, neonatal? I have no idea)?

Medicine politics are ever changing it seems and it will be interesting to see where it shifts over the next few years due to the health care reforms and such.

Actually, it's CCM, cardiac, pain & peds. But regardless, what you say might be true. 7 out of 12 in my class are doing fellowships. My fellowship (CCM) increased its class size from 5 to 8 due to increased demand. Whether this reflects concern over midlevels, a tightening job market, or something else, I'm not sure. I'm not really sure what other fellowships would be needed (besides the Bariatric Anesthesia Fellowship that I predict will be all the rage). There are already the 4 accredited plus OB, neuro, regional, ambulatory and transplant.
 
Actually, it's CCM, cardiac, pain & peds. But regardless, what you say might be true. 7 out of 12 in my class are doing fellowships. My fellowship (CCM) increased its class size from 5 to 8 due to increased demand. Whether this reflects concern over midlevels, a tightening job market, or something else, I'm not sure. I'm not really sure what other fellowships would be needed (besides the Bariatric Anesthesia Fellowship that I predict will be all the rage). There are already the 4 accredited plus OB, neuro, regional, ambulatory and transplant.

Btw, I think the OP is still in high school or something. Just fyi.
 
Hey, cool! Although I don't find my name to be "unfortunate". However, as I search, I'm not finding the same things as you are, and I know the answers. And I wonder if you were lurking for a LONG time, as you've only been on SDN as a member for 3 months. Likewise is that your searching for me post constitutes 25% of your posting output.

Still, even if you can find out stuff about me, you can't find me.

Nobody has to actually "find" you to negatively impact your life based on internet posts. Anonymity is best. To think otherwise is naive.
 
Nobody has to actually "find" you to negatively impact your life based on internet posts. Anonymity is best. To think otherwise is naive.

If I'm not getting spammed, or having things done that I have to undo, what is the negative impact? I didn't understand this. If I go about my daily life without anything happening, to which impact are you speaking?
 
If I'm not getting spammed, or having things done that I have to undo, what is the negative impact? I didn't understand this. If I go about my daily life without anything happening, to which impact are you speaking?
http://www.totalinjury.com/blog/flea-proves-to-be-his-own-biggest-pest-in-boston-personal-injury-lawsuit/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/26/fired-over-facebook-posts_n_659170.html#s115707&title=Swiss_Woman_Caught

Just google "fired over facebook" and use your imagination to translate those items to an SDN scenario. Pretend the CEO of your hospital knows your identity on SDN and reads everything you post. It might just be the case.
 
http://www.totalinjury.com/blog/flea-proves-to-be-his-own-biggest-pest-in-boston-personal-injury-lawsuit/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/26/fired-over-facebook-posts_n_659170.html#s115707&title=Swiss_Woman_Caught

Just google "fired over facebook" and use your imagination to translate those items to an SDN scenario. Pretend the CEO of your hospital knows your identity on SDN and reads everything you post. It might just be the case.

#13 on the second link is the best... got fired ON FB.
 
http://www.totalinjury.com/blog/flea-proves-to-be-his-own-biggest-pest-in-boston-personal-injury-lawsuit/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/26/fired-over-facebook-posts_n_659170.html#s115707&title=Swiss_Woman_Caught

Just google "fired over facebook" and use your imagination to translate those items to an SDN scenario. Pretend the CEO of your hospital knows your identity on SDN and reads everything you post. It might just be the case.

I stand by every single thing I post - anywhere. Find me any single thing I've posted, and I would tell it to you to your face. On SDN, I've had "internet tough guys" give me a hard time, but they are totally anonymous, which makes them empty - not dishonorable, but an honor zero (coincidentally, two of them were presumptive anesthesiologists, but neither did so on the anesthesia forum). Some people are not so indiscreet. If some guy wants to do internet searches on me, that's on him. Seems kind of creepy, but that doesn't bother me. I deal with enough creepy as I go about my day.

No patient could ever find anything that they could show specifically identified them and damaged them from what I've written online. No person can show any libel. You are absolutely correct, though, in a general sense. That is why I don't Facebook - someone can tag your picture and you're out of luck. You untag it, and they do it again. I have a teacher friend who quit Facebook and MySpace for the same reason. However, as he is a bona fide musician, he has his musical MySpace up. I don't tweet because I don't care what I'm doing - I certainly don't think anyone else cares, either.
 
I stand by every single thing I post - anywhere. Find me any single thing I've posted, and I would tell it to you to your face. On SDN, I've had "internet tough guys" give me a hard time, but they are totally anonymous, which makes them empty - not dishonorable, but an honor zero (coincidentally, two of them were presumptive anesthesiologists, but neither did so on the anesthesia forum). Some people are not so indiscreet. If some guy wants to do internet searches on me, that's on him. Seems kind of creepy, but that doesn't bother me. I deal with enough creepy as I go about my day.

No patient could ever find anything that they could show specifically identified them and damaged them from what I've written online. No person can show any libel. You are absolutely correct, though, in a general sense. That is why I don't Facebook - someone can tag your picture and you're out of luck. You untag it, and they do it again. I have a teacher friend who quit Facebook and MySpace for the same reason. However, as he is a bona fide musician, he has his musical MySpace up. I don't tweet because I don't care what I'm doing - I certainly don't think anyone else cares, either.

I don't specifically follow your posts, so I have no idea what your posting history is. I am certainly not implying that you post inappropriately. Just justifying why it is a good idea for people, in general, to stay anonymous. Even better to not post anything you would not be willing to send in an email to your CEO, since everything is traceable. SDN knows who everyone is and, if ordered by a court of law, would sing like a canary.
 
SDN knows who everyone is and, if ordered by a court of law, would sing like a canary.

Some few years ago (around 2003), when things were ramping up for Operation Iraqi Freedom, there was, though a series of events, concern from some members about people from the US government coming for stuff they'd written (seriously), and Lee said that they would not turn over PMs without a fight.

However, on the open boards, well, it's all there. What I don't know is if the password-protected fora (like the private forum in anesthesia, the chief's forum, and neonatology) are Google-searched and cached. Were that so, then nothing would be secure. I don't think that even a password-protected site would pass muster for an "M&M" type nondiscoverable situation.

Of course, though, you are right - don't post anything you wouldn't send to the CEO or your mother, at your peril.
 
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