tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post2707274808249187360..comments2023-08-21T02:57:37.362-05:00Comments on Dr. Wes: Alphabet SoupDrWeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17438019699222125477noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-42768240752939425902008-10-19T15:43:00.000-05:002008-10-19T15:43:00.000-05:00Wow, that's disappointing. This is the sort of...Wow, that's disappointing. This is the sort of thing that sometimes leads me to forget that many individuals strive for high ideals. I'm inclined to avoid (or avoid referring patients to) anyone who knowingly adopts the title of Fellow without the training & certification to support it. Thanks for drawing my attention to this phenomenon & answering my question.PGYxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04326999545370162455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-27093564972742530542008-10-19T06:07:00.000-05:002008-10-19T06:07:00.000-05:00medicine girl-I thought that those who complete fe...medicine girl-<BR/><BR/><I>I thought that those who complete fellowships must take & pass certifying boards to carry the "Fellow" title.</I><BR/><BR/>In theory, you care correct. In reality, thanks to <A HREF="http://drwes.blogspot.com/2007/10/posers.html" REL="nofollow">some</A>, you are not.DrWeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17438019699222125477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-62279188927980287102008-10-18T17:44:00.000-05:002008-10-18T17:44:00.000-05:00I'm still confused. I thought that those who c...I'm still confused. I thought that those who complete fellowships must take & pass certifying boards to carry the "Fellow" title. Your post has led me to realize that I base this on little more than hearsay & assumption (approximate level of evidence: 42). Guess I've been hitting the q2 call a little too hard lately. Thanks if you can clarify the matter for me, a PGYxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04326999545370162455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-15799207201633200442008-10-04T20:25:00.000-05:002008-10-04T20:25:00.000-05:00lactation specialists have the most initials after...lactation specialists have the most initials after their names that i have ever seen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-72804984657615331672008-10-01T08:04:00.000-05:002008-10-01T08:04:00.000-05:00Interesting. I'm an attorney, and attorneys usual...Interesting. I'm an attorney, and attorneys usually do not use "J.D." after their names. For one thing, anyone with a law degree can use "J.D.," even if they never passed a bar exam or practiced law. To indicate on your business card that you are a practicing attorney, you would normally just put the name of your law firm, or "attorney at law." If you work for the government or a corporation,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-37083664149882147622008-10-01T00:33:00.000-05:002008-10-01T00:33:00.000-05:00I am a member of ACC, but not an MD, so you defini...I am a member of ACC, but not an MD, so you definitely don't need to be board certified to be an ACC member.<BR/><BR/>We have an egotistic chief of surgery who has so much alphabet soup after his name that it takes up an entire line of script below his name. I literally laughed when I saw his business card. An MD colleague and I could only figure out about half of what the soup meant. I'm sureAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-16881625933403346372008-09-30T10:51:00.000-05:002008-09-30T10:51:00.000-05:00Jay (and anony 7:30PM):Correction made. From a co...Jay (and anony 7:30PM):<BR/><BR/>Correction made. <BR/><BR/>From a collective bargaining position of specialties, as well as an attempt to maintain competency and education in our ever-changing subspecialty fields, I think the organizations are very helpful. Unfortunately, in the fight for medicare reimbursement, there are lobbies for both sides (generalists vs. specialists) that fight for DrWeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17438019699222125477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-67409058867462827712008-09-30T09:53:00.000-05:002008-09-30T09:53:00.000-05:00Wes,Your last comment is a very important distinct...Wes,<BR/><BR/>Your last comment is a very important distinction and you should correct your statement in the original post. "Importantly, these letters do not imply an individual is “board certified” by any one of the 24 Member Boards that make up the American Board of Medical Specialties." Thank you Anon 7:30 for your comments.<BR/><BR/>If FACC as a designation requires board certification (I Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10897176780069403370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-45185459845497694442008-09-29T21:55:00.000-05:002008-09-29T21:55:00.000-05:00Anony 07:30 PM-Thanks, you are correct regarding "...Anony 07:30 PM-<BR/>Thanks, you are correct regarding "fellowship" status, but "membership" in the ACC (for instance) does not require board certification.DrWeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17438019699222125477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-58534366698613513742008-09-29T19:30:00.000-05:002008-09-29T19:30:00.000-05:00Grown men spend much more on even more trivial thi...Grown men spend much more on even more trivial things than they do for professional society dues.<BR/><BR/>Fellowship status does represent something, it means at a minimum that you have become board-certified in your ABMS-recognized specialty. As there is no way to designate board certification status in a title, something which does represent an academic and occupational achievement (Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-21324110306453600862008-09-29T11:31:00.000-05:002008-09-29T11:31:00.000-05:00well patient ask about those letters all the time....well patient ask about those letters all the time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-39978690961419587192008-09-29T09:51:00.000-05:002008-09-29T09:51:00.000-05:00Please tell me I'm missing something. There can't ...Please tell me I'm missing something. There can't be grown men and women in the world paying money for 4 letters behind their name. I thought these things were granted for academic achievement or something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-47488320510679399962008-09-29T09:48:00.000-05:002008-09-29T09:48:00.000-05:00What role does the AMA play in uniting physicians ...What role does the AMA play in uniting physicians and presenting a unified front in Washington?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-8400928962985879152008-09-29T08:43:00.000-05:002008-09-29T08:43:00.000-05:00Great post. When I passed my boards, I looked int...Great post. When I passed my boards, I looked into becoming FACS, thinking it was some sort of elite designation. Then I discovered what was required: a couple letters from friends already in the club and your checkbook. I think I'll pass. MD is good enough for me.Jeffrey Parks MD FACShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15650563299849196122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-66654647702529980322008-09-29T02:56:00.000-05:002008-09-29T02:56:00.000-05:00If you look at this link from CNN.com about a 100 ...If you look at this link from CNN.com about a 100 year old who is still vigorous and takes cold showers...<BR/><BR/>http://edition.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/15/living.well/<BR/><BR/>... maybe I should turn the gas off on my hot water tank. <BR/><BR/>:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-55993869955362632952008-09-29T02:33:00.000-05:002008-09-29T02:33:00.000-05:00Nice blog to discover. Hey I was wondering, is it ...Nice blog to discover. Hey I was wondering, is it possible to gauge how screwed up my arteries are if I tell you I'm 26, I smoked for 12 years, light smoker, 5 cigs a day, equates to three 'pack years', the term often used in studies referring to pack a day guys, I gave up cold turkey, I ate like a moron from about 18-25 (as soon as I was responsible for my food and not my mom), I ate like Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-90165880393246865982008-09-28T20:24:00.000-05:002008-09-28T20:24:00.000-05:00while i disagree slightly on what board certificat...while i disagree slightly on what board certification guarantees from a patient perspective in terms of clinical care, i fully agree that we have way too many meaningless divisions in our once highly esteemed profession.<BR/><BR/>i look forward to your next post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com