Doctor Allegedly Mocked Obese Woman, Told Patient To Shoot Self

[The Straight Story]

Doctor Allegedly Mocked Obese Woman, Told Patient To Shoot Self
Judge Orders Disciplinary Proceedings To Stop

POSTED: 7:58 am EDT July 7, 2006

CONCORD, N.H. -- A judge has ordered the state Board of Medicine to stop disciplinary proceedings against a doctor accused of telling a patient she was so obese she might only be attractive to black men and advising another to shoot herself following brain surgery.

Judge Edward Fitzgerald made clear in a ruling released Thursday that he did not condone remarks attributed to Dr. Terry Bennett and found them unnecessary, but ruled Bennett had a right to speak bluntly.

"It is nonetheless important ... to ensure that physicians and patients are free to discuss matters relating to health without fear of government reprisal, even if such discussions may sometimes be harsh, rude or offensive to the listener," he concluded in the ruling Wednesday.

The complaints against Bennett included charges that he told a white patient that she was so obese she might only be attractive to black men.

http://www.local6.com/health/9481716/detail.html

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. So it's OK to...

be a jerk AND a racist.

Got it.

Thanks for clearing that up, judge.

[havocmom]

3. And give advice to murder one's self?

If your MD said to shoot yourself, that might carry some weight with a lot of people.

Perhaps the good doctor should give the same advice to the judge. His brain isn't right either!

[oldcoot]

8. No way to discipline bad doctors

If the Board of Medicine cannot discipline a bad doctor, the only option patients have is a lawsuit. I hope that all those individuals who think malpractice rewards should be restricted pay careful attention to this case because lawsuits might become the only way to get rid of bad doctors.

[kurth]

2. Face it, some doctors are assholes

but their words carry a lot of weight with patients - sometimes to deadly effect.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Hopefully having this out in the open will cost this guys his patient

roster. (Though he may gain a few klan members.)

[geomon666]

5. Go fuck yourself your honor.

Of course that's just my legal opinion.

[nashville_brook]

6. doctors! this conduct is outrageous -- and unsurprising that they

let him get away with it! doctors.

[quiet.american]

7. "Go shoot yourself" is medical advice? Maybe I should put out an awning.

The judge's ruling is nuts.

[Ian David]

9. Unfortunately, Dr. Bennett is a Democrat

I often look-up people like this, and more often than not, they are Repukes.

Unfortunately, in this case...

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=Bennett%2C+terry&txtState=NH&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

[lapislzi]

10. How about the hippocratic oath

"First do no harm"?

This bozo shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine.

IMO, one's professional ethic trumps one's first amendment rights in a case like this. But, I'm not the judge.

[MamaBear]

11. The doctor is a fat phobe.

Thin = healthy, didn't you know? To be fat is to choose to be ugly, disgusting, stupid, dirty, slow and slovenly. Didn't you know? And since obesity is chosen, fat people are always fair game, especially when they're trying to recover from brain surgery, which condition was obviously caused by her choice to be fat. Sinful. Gluttonous.

The only way to disclipline this "doctor" is to complain to the insurers who pay his fees. If he can't maintain membership in an insurance group, he will lose most of his practice.

Of course, that would require insurers with more ethics than the doctor.

Um hmm. Flame away.