Corruption
It's wide and deep in the medical field
Corruption in Medicine:
In the past I have brought to you evidence of the corruption in medicine. I have specifically detailed the cozy relationship between big pharma and big government and its agencies such as the NIH, CDC and FDA. I have even mentioned how medical schools’ research departments as well as medical specialty journals and even medical specialty societies have been largely captured as well. Where do you think all of those profits from high priced drugs go? Certainly not just to the shareholders.
It is this cozy relationship between pharma and the many levers of government and society that allows the charade of safety and effectiveness to continue to the point where one doesn’t know where to turn for truly trusted advice and a real risk/benefit analysis when it comes to any individualized treatment recommendation.
In my own specialty, emergency medicine, there has been an ongoing fight for integrity with an alternative to our specialty society, ACEP (American College of Emergency Medicine) having been started in 1993. This alternative is AAEM (American Academy of Emergency Medicine). It is estimated to have between 8,000 and 10,000 members (ACEP has nearly 40,000 members). Originally it focused on pushing back against working conditions of emergency physicians who worked for contract management groups, that is, the ‘corporate practice of medicine.’
ACEP is closely affiliated with ABEM, the American Board of Emergency Medicine. This is the certifying agency that provides exams that (if passed) allow one to claim to be “board certified.” Increasingly, hospitals require that board certification in order to be able to be employed in their facility. Costs start at about $1000 for certification with additional costs for maintaining it. [Note: Board certification is not the same as a medical license and in theory one does not need board certification to practice medicine, although it is increasingly difficult to do so.]
Many claim that some of the specialty boards are gouging members and not providing anything of real value for patient care. Although initially passing some sort of exam is considered to be important in assuring a certain level of competence, some argue that no studies show a correlation between scores and outcomes with real patients. In fact, there is now a competing body for certification that is simpler and cheaper than most current boards, and it is the American Board of Physicians and Surgeons (ABPS). It emphasizes clinical practice and lifelong learning rather than test taking in certifying its members.
Whereas about 700,000 have attained certification through traditional boards, ABPS is growing slowly and is trying to be recognized by hospitals as an alternative to traditional boards. Although an exact figure is not certain, perhaps 30,000 physicians have chosen this route for recertification. As numbers grow, recognition should improve.
Meanwhile, Dr. Pierre Kory and other “dissident” physicians who questioned the safety and/or efficacy of the mRNA shots - or - who advocated for the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine have been stripped of their ‘traditional’ boards for ‘misinformation.’ Dr. Kory is very dogged in his pursuit of truth and science. His latest substack is a tour d’force of analysis of the corruption in his specialty boards, the American Board of Internal Medicine. It is a bit lengthy but it is a fascinating read. Money and power corrupt absolutely. At least peruse this piece to get a sense of the depth of corruption.
In health,
DocofLastResort