You probably already know this...let's review for those who do, and expose for those who don't.
Surgeons weren't always professionally schooled and papered by Universities. They were barbers who amputated - and most of their patients died by infection from the amputation. But not for the reasons you think.
If you were to select a barber to amputate, you did so based on the individual wearing the most experienced looking smock. I mean, who would want to pay for an amputation from a person wearing a white smock = no amputations.
The dirtiest, bloodiest, rankest smocks denoted the most prolific barber. Also, it turns out, the ones with the highest mortality rates.
When in the course of research, it was determined that gory smocks and mortality rates correlated, you'd think that barber-surgeons would listen to their colleagues who preached sanitation as a simple life-saving measure.
You'd be wrong.
For them, was it about saving lives or clinging to the reputation of a dirty smock?
I find similar conditions in politics and education.
A GROSS unwillingness to fundamentally change the way we practice our profession, even if it saves lives, at the risk of loosing our white-knuckled grip on our positions.
While people die, perhaps not as violently as they did at the hands of a smocked-barber, they still eventually die at the hands of smocked politician.
Stay engaged. Vote. Moreover, run for office.
It turns out that Common Core, accountability measures, and evaluations are very much similar to the sanitary practices preached by surgeons long ago.
Simple ways to improve the lives of patients. Simple ways to improve the lives of students.
And yet, the proverbial death toll continues. Just as it did centuries ago.
Surgeons weren't always professionally schooled and papered by Universities. They were barbers who amputated - and most of their patients died by infection from the amputation. But not for the reasons you think.
If you were to select a barber to amputate, you did so based on the individual wearing the most experienced looking smock. I mean, who would want to pay for an amputation from a person wearing a white smock = no amputations.
The dirtiest, bloodiest, rankest smocks denoted the most prolific barber. Also, it turns out, the ones with the highest mortality rates.
When in the course of research, it was determined that gory smocks and mortality rates correlated, you'd think that barber-surgeons would listen to their colleagues who preached sanitation as a simple life-saving measure.
You'd be wrong.
For them, was it about saving lives or clinging to the reputation of a dirty smock?
I find similar conditions in politics and education.
A GROSS unwillingness to fundamentally change the way we practice our profession, even if it saves lives, at the risk of loosing our white-knuckled grip on our positions.
While people die, perhaps not as violently as they did at the hands of a smocked-barber, they still eventually die at the hands of smocked politician.
Stay engaged. Vote. Moreover, run for office.
It turns out that Common Core, accountability measures, and evaluations are very much similar to the sanitary practices preached by surgeons long ago.
Simple ways to improve the lives of patients. Simple ways to improve the lives of students.
And yet, the proverbial death toll continues. Just as it did centuries ago.
Past leaders tout local control. Current leaders tout national control. Centralize. De-centralize. Fund. De-fund.
We need good people now more than ever.
Onward,
Dr. J
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