News Item: Iraq's Doctors

[Ronald Gross]

Ken,

I have reread your post a couple of times - and couldn't agree with you
more.  Key here is that while the West has been fortunate ( or not - as
you choose to see that mixed blessing) to have the technology, the rest
of the world has been practicing medicine as it used to be practiced
here - the physicians have learned to actually talk to, examine, and
treat the PATIENT, not some number or scan, and they are damn good at
it!

Hope all is well,
Ron

>>> <KMATTOX at aol.com> 11/23/2006 11:58 AM >>>
Ron, Pret,  others,    I have read the posts on this  subject with
great 
interest.   My following comments come from being a  student of
surgical history 
and from having been in many middle east countries,  to include Iraq
and 
Baghdad Medical City (associated with the University of  Baghdad
Medical School)  in 
1979.   I have many close medical and  surgical friends throughout the
Middle 
East from Turkey through Egypt to  Azerbaijan to Pakistan and Saudi
Arabia 
and on through the Emirates.   
 
First.   The United States does not have a monopoly on good  doctors ! 
We 
have had an infrastructure which allows  us to have  equipment,
structure, 
sutures, personnel, and support.    Many  other countries also have
these amenities 
along with visionary physicians and  education, often at much less cost
due 
to less regulation, liability, overhead,  and administrative costs.   

 
Second.   Many of the fantastically talented doctors in the  United
States 
come from the many countries of the Middle East, including Iraq, 
Palestine, 
Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran and many  more.   The
countries of 
the Indian sub continent have also supplied  the United States with
many of our 
finest physicians.   Physicians  from those countries are also leaders
in 
returning high quality medicine and  other leadership to their parent
countries.   
 Some of the most  technically adept and insightful teachers and
medical 
leaders in Houston are  from the Middle East, including Iraq, some
having come to 
Houston before the  Bath party was formed.   Many of them have had
families 
that died or  were tortured under that regime.  
 
Third.   Historically, many of the worlds greatest physicians  were
from the 
Middle East, including leadership in surgical instruments, public 
health, 
ophthalmology, mathematics, and many other areas of science.    A
description of 
circulation, including the importance of the pulmonary circuit  was
described 
by a Middle East physician almost 100 years BEFORE Harvey, but was 
lost until 
early in the last century, and still has not received the   credit for
the 
importance of its description.  
 
Fourth.   The physicians, especially surgeons of the world are  very
similar 
in our technical and thinking ability.   Some have access  to later
discussion 
of new knowledge and have better infrastructure.    We also have
similar 
thoughts about the dignity of mankind and respect for good  health.  
That is our 
creed and dedication.    
 
One only has to go to a medical conference in another country to
appreciate  
the native ability and intellect potential of our colleagues.     We
all 
continue to hungry for new knowledge and a desire to apply it to our 
patients.   
We all are victims of our former training and teachers and  without 
communications, such as here on this list server etc, we all would 
remain treating 
patients with past knowledge.    Remember it was  not until the 1990s,
that we 
re-stumbled upon the concepts of damage control,  permissive
hypotension,  planned 
reoperation, etc. etc.   
 
May each today find reflection in the many things that we have to be  
thankful for.
 
k
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