...”Doctors know their industry intimately”.....
With all due respect, Bird, doctors don’t work in an “industry”. Instead, medicine is a calling to most. I know this intimately as I am the grandson, nephew, son, and spouse of physicians. I work in the medical field, and know many, many physicians. While there are some bad apples, as in every field of endeavor, the vast majority of physicians I’ve known are caring, dedicated, highly trained people who essentially give their lives to their art and their patients. It is very stressful for much of the time and I daresay a detriment to longevity. Perhaps that’s why doctors choose to die differently, if this article is accurate. I don’t know and wouldn’t hazard a guess to that end.
Sorry if I offended through semantics or word choice, it was not my intent. I agree with you about medicine being a calling since the course of study is so long before actually getting into the real application of the knowledge gained. I am the son of an RN and my observation of the care level of most health professionals mirrors yours.
My comment was not about bad apples or poor care, it was about the special knowledge gained from being on the inside that is not necessarily shared with patients or families making the decisions about how to approach a life-threatening disease like the pancreatic cancer described in the original article. I take the view that there are medical professionals that believe not providing full information is a kindness to the patient/family because the doctors don’t want to dash any hope the patient/family have. I don’t believe this is through any ill intent.
I hope I have provided a little more clarity on my first comment.
“With all due respect, Bird, doctors don’t work in an “industry””
It is most certainly an industry. It consumes 1/7th (and growing) of all our economic efforts. Doctors are an intimate part of it, and they are often passionate and professional about it.
There is no shame or insult in calling it an industry. Many doctors are well compensated for their efforts and education, as it should be (for some of them).