What's Medical?

[lord999]

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I am not trying to get myself banned for making sexist or ignorant remarks; this is just a thought. Just musing. If another mod wants to delete this topic, go ahead.


So the other day, I was overhearing a conversation between two of the going to be graduated students. No, I wasn't evesdropping, but it's really hard not to notice someone saying "Yeah, -----'s parents are buying her a boob job as a graduation present." Now, this is a girl (who in my mind, looks just fine) who's about to graduate from a health profession who's been indoctrinated in certain ideas. What one observes as a medical condition may not necessarily be seen that way by others. But yet, why do people think of medical conditions differently than others? Isn't this a science?

Got me to thinking: What do you all consider the definition of medicine, of therapy, of healing? Or better, what suffering is not a medical condition?

No, it's not for an app essay, an assignment, or a talk (I'm above those concerns now). Just something interesting to think about.

 

[ZpackSux]

Medi-Cal

State Medicaid program in California.

 

[lord999]

That's a bit of an odd answer...

 

[bananaface]

The state of WA has paid for sex changes for those who "need them to be able to obtain a healthy self-image." I guess if they want to play it that way, getting one's nails done will soon be classified as a medical expense.

This is sort of a Topics in Healthcare issue, but we can leave it here if you prefer this arena of discussion.

 

[lord999]

Hey banana, it's find if this topic get moved.

 

[sdn1977]

I think this topic really should be moved - Topics in Healthcare perhaps.....since its not really related directly to pharmacy.

But....cosmetic surgery, whether perceived corrective for the individual by YOU or just by the pt herself AND if per physicians agrees her reasons for the corrective surgery are acceptable....then yes, I think it does fall under accepted terms of what we view as a definitiion of medicine: the science of diagnosis, treatment & prevention of disease or damage to body or mind.

If her mind is such that she cannot accept her body, then something needs correction - its certainly beyond my capabiiity to know if its her body or her mind.

 

[SobeGekko]

Probably this belongs in another forum but....

I think there are two basic types of medical conditions. Those that result in objective irrefutable evidence of disease such as diabetes, cancers, HTN, glaucoma, etc.

Then there's the more gray area of psychological abnormalities. Now, a digression. The field of psychiatry has outlined criteria for all sorts of "medical conditions" in the DSM-IV. There's commonly accepted things like schizophrenia, bipolars, depression, etc. But there's also criteria for personality disorders such as narcissistics, borderlines, schizoids that aren't considered diseases but rather personality presets that guide their behavior that often give them a disadvantage at functioning "normally" in society.

But even less severe than that are what I would consider personality tendencies that may have some of the traits of the above disorders but not enough to meet DSM-IV criteria.

Back to your question at hand....

I don't think suffering is a medical condition. Depression certainly is. But in between are people who for one reason or another have some psychological issue that they have difficulty resolving on their own. Medication or counselling may be tried with varying degrees of success. Or in the case you spoke of a cosmetic surgery may be request to "remedy" a body image problem. We all have some psychological baggage to deal with in life and where and when that becomes pathological is difficult to define.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Sweet!!! I think all girls should get a boob job.

 

[bananaface]

Hey banana, it's find if this topic get moved.

Well it would be one of us that would do it since we are the ones with the moving power who read this board. Do you want to give it a shot?