Earlier today I posted a letter, presumably from the Dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Dr. Robert Golden. It was originally posted in a comments thread and as such I was unsure of its authenticity. Subsequently, it was posted in its entirety here. I now believe it is genuine and as such wish to make a few comments.
I very much appreciate that Dr Golden has taken the time to acknowledge the significance of the allegations presented here and other outlets. He has obviously been put in a very difficult position that I believe was through no fault of his own. I can't imagine a senior administrator at any institution condoning or facilitating in any way the actions of these physicians. As I implied from the beginning, my suspicion was that this was a cabal of activist physicians putting their political beliefs before their professional obligations. I also have no reason to believe, program director Kathy Oriel not-with-standing, that the entire Department of Family Medicine should be implicated. In fact, by all accounts, the FP Department at the University of Wisconsin, has offered a tremendous educational opportunity that all potential residents should strongly consider. How Dr. Gordon handles this particular situation, though, should weigh heavily on every medical students mind as they search for the correct match.
In no uncertain terms Dr. Golden states that Dr's Anne Eglash and Valerie Gilchrist were in no way involved in the activities of February 19. As such all posts referencing these two physicians as being part of this charade will be removed. I would encourage all other blogs and media who have referenced these physicians as being a part of this action to amend the record as appropriate. This site in general, and myself specifically, has no interest in implicating the innocent while condemning the actions of the guilty. I apologize to Dr. Eglash and Dr. Gilchrist for any untoward publicity this blog may have caused and will amend the posts as warranted.
Dr. Golden also notes that threats of violence have been received by some of the physicians involved. These threats are inappropriate, uncalled for and have no place in the remediation of this particular issue. There in no compelling indication for judgement and sentencing by proxy. Get a grip people. Dr. Golden and the Wisconsin Department of Licensing and Regulation deserve the opportunity to investigate, deliberate and pass judgement, without you giving reason for sympathy to the defendants. We disagree, without being disagreeable and insult so that political adversaries remain unaware. In other words, be smart. There is absolutely reason no for conservatives, which I consider myself one, to resort to the lowest common denominator of political discourse. That is for progressives, we must be smarter. This debate is not a reference to the limiting reagent.
While Dr. Golden is clear regarding who is not involved. He is less than forthcoming regarding those who were involved. There are many videos available for review and no amount of cover or cover up will satiate the need for an appropriate accounting. I would encourage the Dean to release the names of those involved. The cover up is always worse than the crime and i hope Dr. Golden is equipped with enough foresight to appreciate this fact. What these doctors did is without defense. They should be named and shamed. The integrity of profession is much more than an individual or group, and should be defended at all costs.
The white coat still means something and I hope Dr. Golden appreciates this. The priority and our oath as physicians are to the patient, not the state.
I look forward to the response Dr. Golden and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine have and would ask they be open and forthright with the public and their colleagues. We will be watching....
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This is a great catch, UH. Fantastic work
ReplyDeleteHow do you know he's not lying! We know this is what liberals do, and they have no qualms about it.
ReplyDeleteWe know that doctors will commit fraud and lie.
You have no reason to believe this man! None!
Anon, I am a doctor! I do not presume that my colleagues first instinct is to lie and cover up. Dr. Gordon has much more at stake than covering for a group of scofflaws. Until I have reason to suspect Dr. Gordon I will trust in his word!
ReplyDeleteUnlikely,
ReplyDeleteGiven the behavior of doctors, you have no good reason to assume these ones are telling the truth - especially since it clears them of guilt.
Given the nature of 'scientists' in general - being more indoctrinated than educated in the past decades, you've no good reason to believe them.
Believing them because you are both doctors is a terrible reason.
Fair enough! But I don't believe him simply because we are both doctors. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, until I have reason to think otherwise, both because he is a doctor and because he is human. I refuse to believe that it is the first instinct of the mind to lie. I think he has much more at stake than to cover for a few doctors in the Department of Family Medicine. If money is as important as people seem to think then FP's are on the low end of the totem pole and in an organization as large as the one in Wisconsin and the money that is at stake they are the expendable commodity. Again time will tell, but I am keeping my final judgement to myself. I would recommend you do the same.
ReplyDeleteIs it Dr GoRDON, or Dr GoLDEN? Or are you talking about two different doctors?
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping you can clarify: Are you removing certain posts from this site? Or are you simply amending them (e.g., deleting references to the relevant doctors)?
ReplyDeleteYou used both formulations ("remove" and "amend"), so I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering.
I ask this as someone who's hoping entire posts do not disappear simply to redact specific information therein. Surgery, please -- not amputation!
Somehow I doubt this is the first incidence of questionable behavior from their FM Department. A public apology and shaming of these doctors is needed not only to correct their outrageous behavior but to instill public confidence in the profession.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers who accepted these fake notes also need to be punished and shamed. What would they have done if a student presented a fraudulent doctor's note? Unfortunately, they are leading by example.
Heh. This group(s) of docs were altogether, and amazingly, right out in the open. The ones on video are guilty of fraud and ethics violations. If others are not on the videos, they SHOULD be presumed innocent.
ReplyDeleteLet not either side argue with the films. Let the dean take ACTION on them. We're watching.
Anon, sorry, it is Dr. Robert Golden! The problem with comments is that I cannot edit after the fact.
ReplyDeleteThomas D~I stand be all that I have posted in the previous posts. That the Dean has stated without ambiguity that Dr Gilchrist and Dr Englash were not involved with the activities I will remove all references to them. The posts will otherwise stand on their own. Thanks for clarifying!
Surgery? Scalpels, not axes!
Handing out notes, we know. Identifying themselves with the Department of Family Medicine, we know.
ReplyDeleteEither: (a) not really with the DFM -- DFM should be livid and ready to rip into these people; or (b) really with the DFM.
If really DFM, either: (a) lone wolves -- DFM should be livid and ready to throw these people overboard to try to keep the stain off the institution; or (b) widely supported within the DFM.
If representative of DFM, either: (a) ready to stand up and take consequences for ethical stand -- which should make for a short investigation; or (b) would rather this not be too much publicized.
If desired to be kept secret, either: (a) are ethical enough to tell the truth -- but we know they're not ethical enough to want to take the consequences; or (b) would lie to you and stonewall.
So we've got: (i) Not affiliated at all -- stole the white coats or something -- about to have the DFM come down on them like a ton of bricks; (ii) couple of wankers who are about to have the DFM come down on them like a ton of bricks; (iii) representative of the DFM who are about to come out and self-justify; or (iv) liars.
Until we see Dr. Golden firmly in categories i, ii, or iii, then category iv remains a distinct possibility.
"calling Doctor Moe, calling Doctor Larry, calling Doctor Curley...."
ReplyDeleteThese were incidents of *criminal fraud*. The punishment that must be meted out is absolutely not in the power of the dean to hand out. It belongs entirely within the criminal justice system and the result must be permanent loss of medical license, significant jail time and significant fines.
ReplyDeleteThat this will destroy their careers is immaterial and utterly irrelevant. They had absolutely no business doing this and they damn well knew it.
And if the argument is that they didn't know that it was wrong then they have even less business being in the medical profession.
Well, I used to believe what doctors said until our President said that they needlessly remove people's tonsils just to make money. Now I don't trust them.
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth gives you people the right to pass judgment on others? You have committed slander and the bearing of false witness, yet many of you persist in casting stones. Take a look in the mirror, then take the friggin plank out of your eye.
ReplyDeleteThe Taliban cut off the heads of people they disagree with. Here we are supposed to have due process. Do your best to see through your self-righteousness and apply the golden rule. If any of you were falsely accused, you would no doubt look at this page and be able to see the vigilantism.
They purport to be doctors. It is Madison, WI one of the most lawless places in the US. Expect nothing but a dance in the dust which will allow the rats to run away. God forbid a twenty year old drink a beer in public. Madison, city of asshats.
ReplyDeleteThere is a tendency at this point for any Leftist who gets caught doing something immoral or illegal to claim that they have received death threats. I'm sure that had he known about email, Alinsky would have written in his Rules for Radicals to claim that death threats were received by any radical caught by any media doing something illegal or immoral. In fact, I would be willing to believe that anyone working with any Leftist organization today would get just such advice, simply because it fits the narrative that the Left wants forwarded into the MSM. It is just as likely that the threats have come from someone on the Left purporting to be on the Right.
ReplyDeletePeople on the Right should not threaten, but we should not believe that such things have been done simply because a Leftist say they have been done.
Dr Golden is buying the most precious commodity--time. With it he is hoping to allow a flagging of interest and get the ability to proceed without taking any action.
ReplyDelete"I also have no reason to believe, program director Kathy Oriel not-with-standing, that the entire Department of Family Medicine should be implicated."
ReplyDeleteExcept that we all know there's a high probability that everyone in the Department knew what kind of person the doctors involved are - the kind of person willing to completely ignore the ethics of their profession in favor of their political beliefs. Thus, until the other members of the Family Medicine Department publicly denounce such behavior, it's fair to assume they at least tolerated, if not supported, such behavior.
Sorry, no pass from me.
@Anonymous 8:07AM: "Except that we all know there's a high probability that everyone in the Department knew what kind of person the doctors involved are..."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. My wife is a physician. Doctors know their colleagues.
ANON What on earth gives you people the right to pass judgment on others?
ReplyDeleteThe same reason you on the left have to smear anyone you disagree with as hate-mongering racist teabaggers.
Anyone with an IQ of more than a chicken knows how deeply ingrained Liberalism is in Madison and the UW.
The history of Liberal activism tells you they will say anything to advance their agenda- with the knowledge that the MSM will give them a full pass.
Hey- we're not the ones who poisoned the well.
I think also damning is the fact that Milwaukee teachers used school district buses to travel to Madison. Wouldn't this be misappropriation?
ReplyDelete