Surgeon's mistake leaves patient without a leg

Oh yeah, sure, cover his back. Why bother holding a doctor accountable if they screw up?

Honestly, you're coming off as the biggest hypocrite in this whole thread.

Look, honey, I really hope you don't end up in the medical field one day. Your mindset is terrifying.
Who even said anything about killing him!?

You clearly missed the entire point of the story and don't understand half the words being used, but hey, I guess I shouldn't expect much from you. 🙄

It’s a total waste of time arguing with someone who isn't even fully formed yet and thinks they're a future doctor. ☕

Lahore, just shut this down already

First off, I feel for the kid. He’s only 20 and dealing with complications like this—nearly losing his head, kidney failure, an amputation, and having to fight just to save his other leg. It’s heartbreaking. Honestly, I wouldn't wish this nightmare on anyone.

But look, people, let's not be so quick to jump to conclusions. We’ve got a handful of armchair experts sitting at home with their hands folded, throwing out these idiotic, half-baked observations from a distance. They love to claim all American doctors are incompetent, underqualified, or poorly trained... it's just noise.

Only a total amateur makes those kinds of sweeping generalizations. It’s obvious that being a doctor in this country doesn't pay nearly as much as it should, which means the people actually doing the work aren't in it to "get rich quick" or to nurse some ego by playing god with patients. Don't be so bitter.

Paul Phillips3 said:Look, sweetie, I really hope you don't end up becoming a doctor one day, because honestly, the way you think is just terrifying.
Well, who said anything about killing him!?

I guess you just don't quite grasp the core of the story, and frankly, it seems like you're missing the point of certain words too, but hey, no hard feelings, I suppose. 🙄

It’s truly such a waste of my afternoon, arguing with someone who isn't even fully educated yet and might—who knows?—eventually become a medical professional. ☕

Hmm, yes, well, much to your disappointment, I actually will be a doctor. 🙄

But then again, I have met some truly terrible doctors myself, so to generalize like that... well, it’s at the very least a bit offensive.

Goodbye!

Brandon Castillo4 said:First off, I feel so bad for the kid. He’s only 20 years old and dealing with complications like this—nearly losing his head, kidney issues, having a leg amputated, then barely saving the other one... honestly, the poor guy. I wouldn't wish that on anyone; it's just a total nightmare.

But look, people, let's not be so quick to judge. A few primitive types are sitting at home with their arms crossed, and now they're making these half-baked, idiotic observations from a distance about how all American doctors are incompetent, underqualified, or poorly trained, and so on...

Only an amateur would make such sweeping statements. It's pretty obvious that the medical profession isn't paid nearly enough to justify the stress, so someone doing this job surely isn't doing it just to "get rich quick" or to work through some personal complex. Please, don't be so malicious.

👍

Well, thanks. I agree.

Because, no matter how silly it sounds... when I read insults like that while I'm actually studying medicine, it’s incredibly disappointing because it feels like a direct slap in my face too. Whenever I see people writing things like "honor the good doctors," all I really see is broad generalizations and pure hatred.

Basically, there's just a general sense of hatred here, and then it leaves room for some "good" doctor to try and clear their name—instead of it being the other way around.

People, you're insulting everyone in general, not just the ones you've actually met.

First off, my bad, Lahore.

hats off to the doctors.

I’m quoting myself here just to show this future doctor that I’m not generalizing—though a little context goes a long way.
I hate it when people twist my words or add things they didn't say.

Look, there are decent doctors out there who are genuinely kind souls; I’ve met plenty in my life. But there are far too many who are the exact opposite.
I have doctors in my family, so I know how the industry works, and an error like this is a massive failure. That’s not just layman talk; that's coming from someone who knows the field.
I feel terrible for the guy and his family. I can't even imagine what they're going through. I hope nobody else ever has to deal with a situation like this.

I’m curious—don't tell me none of you have ever dealt with doctors essentially shaking you down for cash (either directly or through the back door) just to get a shred of respect or decent medical care.

Paul Phillips3 said:First off, sorry Lahore

I’m quoting myself here just so this future doctor sees I’m not making sweeping generalizations, though I suppose quoting posts is a bit tedious
I really don't like it when people twist my words or try to insert things I didn't say

I am saying there are decent doctors out there who are truly wonderful people—I've been lucky enough to meet them many times in my life—but there are just too many who are the complete opposite.
I have doctors in my family, so I know a little bit about how things work, and honestly, an error like this is a massive oversight. That isn't just something a layperson would say; even experts in the field would agree
I feel terribly for the guy and his family; I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through, and I truly hope I never find myself in a situation like that, nor anyone else for that matter

Yeah, I saw that you said

But still, I think most people carry prejudices, especially when they act the way you're acting right now, basically implying

that all doctors are trash unless they prove otherwise.

To me, that doesn't come as a surprise at all. Of course, when lives are on the line, bitterness runs deep, but there is definitely a vibe like that everywhere. I've felt it since my very first day of college ☕

Anyway, it doesn't really matter anymore. 👋

Paul Phillips3 said:I’m still wondering... please don't tell me none of you have ever been in a situation where doctors basically demanded money—either straight up or through some roundabout way—just to treat someone with a shred of dignity or provide actual medical care?

Me too!! My dad was dying from cancer, Stage 4 by the time they found it... he couldn't even handle chemo anymore. It was pretty much over. They just sent him home. Then, this doctor just casually took $200 from us and didn't do a single thing to help. ☕

Lawrence Robinson11 said:I don't see what's weird about a doctor having a more skilled specialist operate on their own child. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM THERE?

It’s simply unacceptable. All that meticulous effort and those resources required for a high-quality surgery on a physician's child aren't coming from that doctor personally. Instead, he and his colleagues are essentially misappropriating taxpayer-funded resources just to ensure better care for themselves and their inner circle. It's about as justifiable as a diamond cutter slipping a few larger stones into his pocket on his way home.

Look, you have to realize that doctors are just civil servants under contract to grind away at whatever the Social Security Administration dictates. You can't hold a monopoly on specific services and then act like you're running a free market while you're still holding all the cards. You want liberalization? Fine. Let's open the floodgates and allow providers from overseas to offer services legally and affordably right here in the US. We could implement neutral quality control and patient protection mechanisms so some butcher doesn't get to play God every single day. I'd love to see you try competing with the entire world, the same way we do in IT. Based on what I read in the news lately, service levels would actually rise, patient satisfaction would climb, and the arrogant snobs would find themselves without a clientele.

Lawrence Robinson11 said:Most doctors are a bunch of hacks, unless they actually manage to prove me wrong.
I’m not surprised at all. When you’re staring down life-or-death stakes, bitterness tends to run deep, but honestly? This vibe is everywhere. It’s pervasive. I’ve been feeling this exact same heavy energy since my very first day on campus at NYU.

Why is everyone so worked up with doctors lately? Is it because they actually had decent experiences for once? Maybe it’s because their physicians were actually kind, empathetic, and treated them like human beings instead of just a chart number. Or perhaps it's because the treatments actually worked—or at least, the doctors showed genuine effort and respect. Or maybe people are just frustrated because when mistakes do happen, they aren't being handled with any sense of integrity.

Doctors can finally face the consequences of their own cooking. They’ve been serving up the same subpar results for decades, but the goalposts have moved. People aren't willing to gamble on mediocrity or settle for "good enough" anymore. We’re seeing much higher standards now, and frankly, I think that’s about time. Expect things to get a lot more heated. It's a good thing.

unknown said:I'm still wondering... please don't tell me none of you have ever dealt with doctors basically fishing for cash (either straight up or some shady way) just to actually show someone a little respect or give them decent medical care and stuff like that???

never happened to me

my mom had surgery 5 times
dad had it twice
me once

unknown said:I’m still waiting for an answer. Don't even try telling me that none of you have ever dealt with doctors basically shaking you down—either directly or indirectly—just to get some basic respect or decent medical care.

Never happened to me.

God, you people are absolutely unhinged. Just endless generalizations, blatant misinformation, and nothing but pure gossip.

Swap out the word "doctor" for "priest" and head over to a religious subforum, and you’ll find the exact same garbage.

It’s always the same old script: everyone is "corrupt, drunks, predators, criminals, or uneducated." And whenever anyone tries to actually criticize them, they just hide behind that tired cliché about "honoring the exceptions."

Most of you haven't seen a lick of the real world; you're just sitting there on your couches, pointing fingers from the comfort of your living rooms. None of you are the real deal.

🙂

Brandon Castillo4 said:God, you people are absolutely delusional. It’s just endless generalizations, fake news, and nothing but gossip.

Honestly, if you swapped out "doctor" for "priest" and moved this thread over to a religious subforum, you’d find the exact same garbage.

It's always the same story—everyone is "corrupt, drunks, predators, criminals, or uneducated." And whenever anyone points out a legitimate flaw, they get hit with that tired old cliché about "respecting the exceptions."

Most of you haven't seen a lick of the real world; you're just sitting there pointing fingers from your couches. You aren't real people.

🙂

Exactly. That's pretty much what I was trying to get at.

Bravo! 😘

Look, there’s no debate about how much of a tragedy this is. Nobody is trying to downplay the absolute mess that happened here. This guy went in for a routine procedure and now he’s fighting just to stay alive. Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about it lately. The kid is two years younger than me, and he’s going through hell right now—not to mention what his family is dealing with.

But then I hop on this thread and see everyone just spitting venom at doctors IN GENERAL. As if they’re all collectively to blame. Sure, there are exceptions, but most of this is just mindless venting, blah blah blah.

The reality is, these doctors are doing the best they can. Every single time one of them screws up, it’s headline news, it’s on every major network, and people talk about it for months. But when they pull off a hundred difficult, high-stakes surgeries in a row? Total silence. Nobody cares. And you have to remember, these doctors aren't robots; they’re human beings.

Fine, if this tragedy was caused by actual negligence, then whoever is responsible should pay the price, regardless of whether they’ve performed a million successful surgeries before. IF IT IS PROVEN TO BE NEGLIGENCE.

But we can't just lash out at the entire medical profession and say, "Yeah, well, shout out to the rare few who actually do their jobs."

Locked. You guys managed to (once again) kill this thread with nothing but sweeping generalizations, petty insults, and personal attacks. I feel bad about it, really—but honestly, it seems like the inevitable fate of every single discussion here, as long as we keep attracting these wannabe med students and bitter people who think everyone else is always the problem...