KNOWLEDGEABLE, RESPECTFUL AND GENTLE

You may have noticed as I have the advertisments placed by physicians in a special section of your local newpaper. Back in the day, it was considered unprofessional for a physician or a lawyer to advertise in the paper, on television and anywhere other than in the Yellow Pages.

More and more there are ads placed by female physicians soliciting only new females patients. Respectful, gentle, knowledgeable are frequent adjectives used in these ads. I can appreciate that there is a need for females to oversee the health of other females.

Why there aren't practicing male physicians who advertise their services as being exclusively for other males? Have you seen any? What would their ads say? Would they say, "Men caring for men?" "Safe, secure, gentle approaches to medicine the Man Way." Somehow that doesn't sound as right as "women caring for women".

An all male medical practice might be really cool. Most guys hate to go to the doctor and I'm one of those guys. A guys only physician could have things like draft beer in the waiting room, there would be liar's dice games while we waited to see the doctor, men's magazines would replace Ladies Home Companion and certainly there would be free access to X-Box video games during colo/rectal examinations. Yahoooo!

"Ah, doc? Would you mind filling my beer glass? I'm a bit busy with this video game to get off of the table."

If women caring for women is accepted by sociey, would men caring for men be likewise accepted? Or would men and women see this approach as being less than heterosexual? I think they would, don't you?

It's always interesting to examine the values of our society. More often than not when it comes to sex, race, or religion, what's fine for one segment within one of those areas just named is not okay for another segment within it. You will never see physician advertisements "Women caring for men" just like you'll not see ads that read "Men caring for men".

I've not had a male family practice physician for quite a while. Recently I had exams by two male specialist physicians. What is it with me? Men touching men gives me the creeps. I knew both men in my role as a professional which is maybe why these examinations didn't sit well with me. I am not homophobic. Not. I just don't like men touching me below the waist.

I have a male dentist. We visit every six months unless I have a cap that needs replacing or a cavity. When I have a cavity I tell him, "Drill baby, drill!" When it comes time to patch the hole he's made I yell out, "Fill baby, fill!" It's no big deal for men dentisting (is that a word?) men. That I can handle.

I had the greatest female physician when we lived in the Bay area. The best. I had absolutely the utmost of respect and confidence in her. I've had five female family practice physicians in the last 11 years. I'm working on getting the sixth. No one comes close to matching my Bay area favorite. She is a tough act to follow. Dear Dr. Kathy Anderson, please move to Redding!

My present female physician is old enough to be my grand daughter. She has facial blemishes and braces on her teeth. I don't have confidence in her abilities. She's inexperienced and it shows. No doubt there is a lot for her to learn in the field of medicine. I'm not going to be the one she'll learn on. I need to find a new physician. Problem is there are too many women caring for women. Finding a physician that I feel comfortable with is going to be a difficult. I'm funny when it comes to trusting someone. I have to believe first.

The best female physican in my world practices five hours away from where we now live. I have lots of time in retirement. Driving southwest for five hours once in a while wouldn't be a bad idea just to have quality health care that I have confidence in.

You don't see any automobiles on the road that were made in the year that I was born. If you do, rest assured its owner has to do a lot of tinkering to keep it on the road. The older I get the more I know that I need a physician who is a good mechanic that will keep old Bob roadworthy.

Beep, beep!