Sarcastic or serious

[Adapt]

The following article is a comparison between Phoenix and Philly. In the article he briefly mentions AZCOM but says it's not a real a medical school because it's osteopathic. I can't tell if he was being sarcastic or he really means it. Below is the article and the statement I am refering to in bold. I know it's no big deal but still. Any opinions?

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0522satlets228.html

Standing up for Philly (a little)
May. 22, 2004 12:00 AM


As an ex-Philadelphian, I must defend the city a bit.

As I grew up and the city went from third to fourth because of that cultural wasteland Los Angeles, I was horrified. Here is a list of pros and cons of Phoenix vs. Philly.

1. Culture: Philly. Better orchestra, opera, schools of music, more and better universities and colleges, including five medical schools. (There are zero in Phoenix. Midwestern doesn't count because it is osteopathic. Now don't get riled, you osteopaths, because I was a faculty member.) Better art museum, better science museum. A real skyline. People actually live downtown. Better public transportation.

2. Weather. Phoenix.

3. Natural beauty. Phoenix, but we are ruining it with urban sprawl.

4. Water supply: Philly.

5. Produce and food: Philly. Tomatoes from Joisy, real Italian food, ethnic neighborhoods. When I first moved here I had to drive 90 minutes to get a real bagel. On the other hand Phoenix is catching up.

6. Golf: Phoenix, but who can afford the green fees (besides, I can't play anyway)?

7. Stadia: Phoenix, but I have not seen a ballgame in Phillies' new park.

8. Freeways: Phoenix.

9. Proximity to other cities: Philly.

10. Passenger rail service: Philly.

11. Access to California, Las Vegas, Washington, Oregon: Phoenix.

12. Access to the shore (Atlantic): Philly.

13. Crime: Pick 'em.

14. Worst police forces: Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix.

So why am I here?

I hate snow. I think Arizona is beautiful.

Why Mesa? I'm still trying to figure that one out! - Howard Weinstein, Mesa

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[sophiejane]

He SAYS he was a faculty member. Seems obviously sarcastic to me.

 

[bigmuny]

Kind of sarcastic, but kind of serious. I think the subtext to the statement is that people don't take pride in the fact that they have a DO school in their city, unlike a having a big name MD program. MD schools can say "we did the first pediatric total brain transplant at our school", or "we developed the vaccine for x-disease at our school." Schools become famous because of the medical advances that come out of them, and people like having well known schools in their communities. Maybe we will soon get on board, start doing some research at our schools, adding to the advancement of medicine, and getting some public recognition. As an aside, you need to start school quick Adapt, you got too much time on your hands.

 

[bla_3x]

Culture: Philly. Better orchestra, opera, schools of music, more and better universities and colleges, including five medical schools. (There are zero in Phoenix. Midwestern doesn't count because it is osteopathic. Now don't get riled, you osteopaths, because I was a faculty member.)

It's all good. It just means that when he's sick and needs an AZCOM grad's help one day, we only meed to pretend to treat him.

Regardless, to say that Midwestern is not a "real" medical school is out of place in a publication such as AZ Central (belongs in perhaps "Mad Magazine"). I think that I will write this person and get the skinny on his remarks.

 

[dr...dr...]

Adapt, it seems that you have some insecurity about becoming a DO. Please don't think that I am "bagging" on you, because I'm not. There is a very large chance that you will be persecuted and viewed as inferior to MDs (and others) because you are a DO student. Be confident in yourself and learn to develop "thick skin" without the expense of empathy towards others. View skeptiscm of osteopathy as a challenge to change the skeptics minds, and embrace your chosen profession. People will develop confidence in you and your profession, but you must develop that confidence first. One more thing, choose your battles wisely; It will make you look weak if you argue with every person that has a negative thing to say about osteopathy. May the force be with you.

 

[Adapt]

Adapt, it seems that you have some insecurity about becoming a DO. Please don't think that I am "bagging" on you, because I'm not. There is a very large chance that you will be persecuted and viewed as inferior to MDs (and others) because you are a DO student. Be confident in yourself and learn to develop "thick skin" without the expense of empathy towards others. View skeptiscm of osteopathy as a challenge to change the skeptics minds, and embrace your chosen profession. People will develop confidence in you and your profession, but you must develop that confidence first. One more thing, choose your battles wisely; It will make you look weak if you argue with every person that has a negative thing to say about osteopathy. May the force be with you.

I don't think I look "weak" if I argue with some people that say negative things about DO. Also I don't argue with "everyone" that says something negative about the profession.

I knew by posting this thread someone would comment about me rather than about the article since that appears to happen a lot.

Anyways, as for the article I think it's a bit sarcastic and serious. However, publishing it in an article is pretty bad taste.

 

[LukeWhite]

I don't really see a problem either way. Not the most clever of statements, but plenty of people associated with osteopathy take knocks at it. No harm in self-deprecation.

On a broader level, I think osteopathy's lack of public deference is one of the best things it has going for it. Too much adulation tends to make people snotty. I think it's fantastic that there's a way to practice medicine without all the automatic respect. Hopefully that doesn't change anytime soon.

 

[Adapt]

On a broader level, I think osteopathy's lack of public deference is one of the best things it has going for it. Too much adulation tends to make people snotty. I think it's fantastic that there's a way to practice medicine without all the automatic respect. Hopefully that doesn't change anytime soon.

Interesting point. I never thought of it like that.

 

[Pooh Chong]

Does the 5 medical schools in Philadelphia...does he count PCOM in the five? If not, then he seriously doesn't consider an Osteopath a "true" doctor.

 

[DrRichardKimble]

The 5 med schools in philly are:

Temple School of Medicine
Drexel College of Medicine (formerly MCP-Hahnemann)
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

so he does count the osteopathic medical school. chill out, stop thinking everyone is "out to get the osteopathic physician". study hard, work hard, focus on your patients, and don't worry what anyone else thinks.

 

[Adapt]

The 5 med schools in philly are:

Temple School of Medicine
Drexel College of Medicine (formerly MCP-Hahnemann)
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

so he does count the osteopathic medical school. chill out, stop thinking everyone is "out to get the osteopathic physician". study hard, work hard, focus on your patients, and don't worry what anyone else thinks.

Interesting. Apparently he counted PCOM in his count for medical schools in Philadelphia but then said AZCOM doesn't count because it's osteopathic.

The article just reminds me of that other one about the court case when the lawyer tried to say that DO school wasn't a real medical school. Whether it was a joke or not, I still think it's in bad form to have something like that published in a state wide newspaper which inevitably will be read by many people.

 

[Cowboy DO]

Agreed, you could write the editor a letter telling him you would like something done about it. Or see if you can get in contact with the author, I'd be interested in what kind of faculty position he held. I for one don't really care, from the looks of it that web site might get 3-5 hits a week, but it might be good for comic/procrastination value.

Here's a link:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html

 

[Adapt]

It's all good. It just means that when he's sick and needs an AZCOM grad's help one day, we only meed to pretend to treat him.

Regardless, to say that Midwestern is not a "real" medical school is out of place in a publication such as AZ Central (belongs in perhaps "Mad Magazine"). I think that I will write this person and get the skinny on his remarks.

Thanks for the link Cowboy DO. Hey bla, you can use Cowboy DO's link if you would like to make a comment about it.

 

[bigmuny]

Agreed, you could write the editor a letter telling him you would like something done about it. Or see if you can get in contact with the author, I'd be interested in what kind of faculty position he held. I for one don't really care, from the looks of it that web site might get 3-5 hits a week, but it might be good for comic/procrastination value.

Here's a link:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html

Unfortunately people are allowed to have their opinions, eve if we don't like them. Maybe, we should spend more time trying to improve our image and profession and less time worrying what some schmuck in arizona has to say. As an aside, niether Philly or Pheonix(a true hell hole) are a pimple on the ass of NYC, Chicago, LA, or SF.

 

[Cowboy DO]

Unfortunately people are allowed to have their opinions, eve if we don't like them. Maybe, we should spend more time trying to improve our image and profession and less time worrying what some schmuck in arizona has to say. As an aside, niether Philly or Pheonix(a true hell hole) are a pimple on the ass of NYC, Chicago, LA, or SF.

Again I agree. However, we are also allowed to have our opinions heard are we not? I would argue that by caring about what one shmuck has to say we improve our image. Even if its only one person at a time. I mean as students we arn't really all that capable of a huge promotional campaign.

 

[bigmuny]

Indeed you do, have at em if it makes you feel better.

 

[Adapt]

Again I agree. However, we are also allowed to have our opinions heard are we not? I would argue that by caring about what one shmuck has to say we improve our image. Even if its only one person at a time. I mean as students we arn't really all that capable of a huge promotional campaign.

This is true. I would also add that this is not just one shmuck. This is a shmuck who has the power of media and can tranmit his ideas to many people who read his opinions.

Sure it's just an opinion, but when the average joe sits down and reads that article, he'll reach the line where it says Midwestern doesn't count because it's osteopathic. He won't know that one of the 5 med schools the author counted in Philly was an osteopathic school. All he will know about DOs now is that it is not a real medical school because why would the author lie. This is the power of media.

I guess to some it may not matter. However, it did matter to the president of the AOA when something like this was written in the article about DOs not being a real medical school in that court case.

 

[LukeWhite]

If the president of the AOA spent half as much time encouraging the development of quality residencies as he did writing letters to the editor and fronting flashy four-color ad campaigns, perhaps we wouldn't have to deal with all this in the first place. Who was it that said talk is talk, but the biscuit speaks for the cook?

 

[Adapt]

If the president of the AOA spent half as much time encouraging the development of quality residencies as he did writing letters to the editor and fronting flashy four-color ad campaigns, perhaps we wouldn't have to deal with all this in the first place. Who was it that said talk is talk, but the biscuit speaks for the cook?

That's true too. Oh well, what can you do. It is how it is.

 

[Eyecon82]

The article just reminds me of that other one about the court case when the lawyer tried to say that DO school wasn't a real medical school. .

oh...that was from the defesne lawyer of jason williams (basketball star accused of shooting his limo driver with a shotgun)...the defense lawyer was cross examaning a DO Doctor who stated that the limo driver was crouched in a defensive position...meaning that the limo driver knew he was going to be shot before he was shot. To counterattack, he stated, so, what where did you go to school. and when he stated he went to an osteopathic school, he asked..."is that even a real medical school?" to disqualify his medical opinion...

 

[VentdependenT]

I think the subtext to the statement is that people don't take pride in the fact that they have a DO school in their city, unlike a having a big name MD program.

Are you serious man? hahahaha. >99% of people could care less about what medical school is nearby or in their city. Its just not an issue. Once you get into residency, or just clinical years, you'll see.

You are right about the research thing. As for the OP, who cares. People will always question what a DO is. I've opened plenty of eyes. Far fewer than I thought I would need to however.

 

[Adapt]

As for the OP, who cares. People will always question what a DO is. I've opened plenty of eyes. Far fewer than I thought I would need to however.

You're right. I was debating on whether to even post this article because I know many wouldn't even care. I just thought I would throw it out there despite knowing how petty it seemed.

Oh well. I have too much time on my hands.