Physicians should take heart! A recent survey conducted by Gallup reveals that the public holds medical doctors in high esteem, awarding them outstanding ratings in terms of honesty and ethics. In fact, compared with 20 other professions, doctors trail only pharmacists and nurses.
That respect is earned daily, and as physicians are well aware, involves a willingness to risk unpopularity when tackling the tough questions. This can be as dramatic as Dr. Bennett Omalu’s mission to convince the public of the correlation between chronic traumatic encephalopathy and football players’ repeated concussions, or as commonplace as prescribing fewer medications in the face of patient dissatisfaction. At Specialdocs, we salute the country’s hard-working physicians and their continual striving to do what’s in their patients’ best interests, regardless of the personal consequences. Their standing in the Gallup survey attests to the success of their efforts.