Does your doctor know ACLS? Does it matter?

Folks must think than all doctors know all things medical. I know this is true by the questions that I have been asked over the years. While my expertise spans hemorrhoids to heartburn, I am routinely queried on medical issues well beyond the specialty of gastroenterology. When I can’t answer questions about a new medicine for hypertension or if an MRI of the shoulder makes sense, folks look at me quizzically as if I must not be a real doctor. Today, more than ever, physicians are highly specialized with a very narrow medical niche. There are ophthalmologists, for example, who only treat retinal disease. Perhaps, there are even retinal specialists for the left eye only. It wouldn’t surprise me. My partners and I perform routine gastroenterology procedures in an ambulatory surgery center. Patient safety is our priority and our staff and us are dedicated to this mission. All of us are required to be certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) in the unlikely event that a medical urgency develops. We recertify every two years, and recently did so. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician GI Heart Source Type: blogs