Opinion
Doctor of nursing degree is just another entitlement
LETTER — Posted Aug. 11, 2008
Regarding "Medical testing board to introduce doctor of nursing certification" (Article, June 16): We have become the land of entitlements rather than the land of opportunity. We all have seen this in the proliferation of overly bureaucratic, politically mandated legal Robin Hoodism over the last half of the 20th century. This dictum has continued to permeate into medicine over the years. Now, once again, we stand and stare vacuously as we get flattened by the steamrollers of inappropriate change.
The manipulation of the term doctor has taken another step -- possibly its final -- off practitioner cliff. Being a physician assistant or nurse practitioner is certainly an honorable career. However, the reason for the existence of extenders is that they are extenders, not physicians.
An extender does not require, or by definition have, the knowledge or training necessitating or warranting a doctorate level degree. However, in the U.S., simply the desire to be called doctor has provided enough momentum to create a piece of paper conferring the title.
How are patients to arm themselves with knowledge? AMA, it's long since time for you to take back control of medicine from rogue organizations, including the U.S. government; appropriately inform our nation about what it means actually to be a physician; and fight the tide of inappropriate change. Otherwise, soon anyone will be able to say, "I'm not a doctor, but I play one in real life."
Devin M. Cunning, MD, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/08/11/edlt0811.htm.
