A tale of two speeches
Short version
1) I decided to do some public speaking
( as an antidote for shyness) about medical topics.
2) The College stomped on me after my very first talk. They said that I was "advertising" and this was "unethical".
3) A few years later I did a second talk. They stomped me again. But this one backfired. The BCMA organized this talk. One of hundreds they organized throughout the province. But I am the only one who the College ever tried to pick on.
Imagine a new, idealistic doc comes to a new town.
He gives a talk on fitness at a local fitness facility.
And gets hauled before the Ethics Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.
And gets accused of unethical behaviour.
1) I decided to do some public speaking
( as an antidote for shyness) about medical topics.
2) The College stomped on me after my very first talk. They said that I was "advertising" and this was "unethical".
3) A few years later I did a second talk. They stomped me again. But this one backfired. The BCMA organized this talk. One of hundreds they organized throughout the province. But I am the only one who the College ever tried to pick on.
Imagine a new, idealistic doc comes to a new town.
He gives a talk on fitness at a local fitness facility.
And gets hauled before the Ethics Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.
And gets accused of unethical behaviour.
Me, after the first speaking engagement
So the young doctor is suitably chastened, and gives up public speaking. Forever !
Although he has never quite figured out what he did that was wrong.
Nor why the College was picking on him.
It is not like he was talking about euthanasia. Or abortion. Or the antichrist. He was talking about exercise being good for you !!!
Although he has never quite figured out what he did that was wrong.
Nor why the College was picking on him.
It is not like he was talking about euthanasia. Or abortion. Or the antichrist. He was talking about exercise being good for you !!!
The divil makes me do it !
But the urge to speak is still strong.
So he decides a few years later to do it a safe way.
He joins a Speaker's Service. And takes some lessons with the rest of the crew with how to do public speaking. And puts his name on a list of volunteers!
And lo, some time later, a Private Club calls up and asks the Speaker's Club if they have a speaker who can give them a talk.
And they do !
So he decides a few years later to do it a safe way.
He joins a Speaker's Service. And takes some lessons with the rest of the crew with how to do public speaking. And puts his name on a list of volunteers!
And lo, some time later, a Private Club calls up and asks the Speaker's Club if they have a speaker who can give them a talk.
And they do !
The Speakers Service gives them the young doctor's name. And a pre - printed speech for him to as a guideline, on the exact topic that the Private Club asked for. He goes and reads it to them.
And gets in before the ethics committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C..
Again !
For being unethical !
Again !
And gets in before the ethics committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C..
Again !
For being unethical !
Again !
But there is a sting.
- The Speakers Service is actually run by the British Columbia Medical Association ( BCMA). It trains volunteer doctors how to do public speaking, in an effort to get them promoting health in the community.
- And the second public talk that the young doctor gives is an event completely sponsored by the BCMA. Who do not consider it the least bit unethical.
- In fact, they seemed to think the College of Physicians and Surgeons is a bit thick !
The details ...
My "not ethical" fitness talk
The first talk was at a local fitness facility. I chatted with the Maggie, the head fitness instructor, and we came up with the topic of Hypnosis and Sports Medicine.
Because I did both, and she ( correctly ) thought that people would be interested in the topic.
The problem was - she actually told people that the talk was coming up !!!
She evened mentioned it in the weekly column on fitness that she did in our local newspaper. ( My mailman still writes for the same paper. And I used to - It's a small town ....)
Because I did both, and she ( correctly ) thought that people would be interested in the topic.
The problem was - she actually told people that the talk was coming up !!!
She evened mentioned it in the weekly column on fitness that she did in our local newspaper. ( My mailman still writes for the same paper. And I used to - It's a small town ....)
Supreme Court stomps College on "advertising"
My great sin was ( and it wasn't even me who did it ) the demon advertising. By mentioning my name in the paper, Maggie had "advertised" me.
At the time the College felt advertising was unethical. And they were quite stubborn about it.
In fact, it took the Supreme Court of Canada to for them to modify their attitudes. Which cheers me up a little bit these days !
At the time the College felt advertising was unethical. And they were quite stubborn about it.
In fact, it took the Supreme Court of Canada to for them to modify their attitudes. Which cheers me up a little bit these days !
But I thought I had my arse covered with the second speech. After all, it was organized by the BCMA ! The second most boring bunch of doctors in the province !
And they have committees and official logos, and the rules about things. All the stuff I lack ...
And they have committees and official logos, and the rules about things. All the stuff I lack ...
The second talk was to a professional woman's networking breakfast group. It is called Women's A.M., and I believe is still having monthly talks. (Just not from me !)
They talk they wanted from me was on stress management. They picked it out of a list of twelve "canned" speeches the BCMA had prepared for it's speakers.
They talk they wanted from me was on stress management. They picked it out of a list of twelve "canned" speeches the BCMA had prepared for it's speakers.
But Women's A.M. committed the same great evil that Maggie had. They advertised the talk in the local paper. For which they are possibly going to hell, but you can forgive the mistake - the have advertised every other monthly talk that they have hosted for the past 40 some years ! How were they to know that physicians had to be mute ???
Several weeks later the College hauled me before their Ethics Committee once again, and my strategy was to act stupid.
Which was easy for me, because I had no idea why they had summoned me ! ( After the previous episode I developed a case of PTSD which prevented me from ever reading the local newspaper. Which is a bit quirky, since in subsequent years I had over 500 columns on medical topics published in the same paper. But once bitten... )
Which was easy for me, because I had no idea why they had summoned me ! ( After the previous episode I developed a case of PTSD which prevented me from ever reading the local newspaper. Which is a bit quirky, since in subsequent years I had over 500 columns on medical topics published in the same paper. But once bitten... )
I had never even seen the add that nearly banished me from medical civilization ! In fact, it was kind of spooky, because whoever wrote the add obviously knew lots of personal trivia that is not in general circulation.
"Born in a one room hospital on the beach in Kitimat ... ( stuff that I have only told you about ! )
"Born in a one room hospital on the beach in Kitimat ... ( stuff that I have only told you about ! )
I either had a psychic stalker, or .... Or , I didn't know what.
I found out later that the information came from a questionnaire that I had filled out when I joined the BCMA Speaker's Service, and which I had forgotten all about. Whew !
I found out later that the information came from a questionnaire that I had filled out when I joined the BCMA Speaker's Service, and which I had forgotten all about. Whew !
I was so obviously gobsmacked by the add that the College readily believed I had nothing to do with it. I was let off the hook, and allowed to practice medicine for another day. Or two !
But I still got copies - as the theoretical sinner - of all of the correspondence And it made for entertaining reading ...
But I still got copies - as the theoretical sinner - of all of the correspondence And it made for entertaining reading ...
And the language that was used was ... startling, and heartwarming !
And direct enough to make my ears burn !
The BCMA and the College had a serious difference opinion that I seemed to have brought into focus. The College considered advertising as "unprofessional". The BCMA said that they had a Speaker's Service "advertising budget", that they agreed completely that they were advertising, but not that there was a damn thing unethical about it.
And that they considered the College to be antiquated, archaic, and anal. And perhaps a couple of other " A " words
And direct enough to make my ears burn !
The BCMA and the College had a serious difference opinion that I seemed to have brought into focus. The College considered advertising as "unprofessional". The BCMA said that they had a Speaker's Service "advertising budget", that they agreed completely that they were advertising, but not that there was a damn thing unethical about it.
And that they considered the College to be antiquated, archaic, and anal. And perhaps a couple of other " A " words
A couple of years later, when my nerves had settled, I got curious.
I wrote to the Director of Communications of the BCMA, a lovely young lady named Leigh Carter. And discovered that the Speaker's Service continued on long after my demise. And that dozens of doctors had given hundreds of talks throughout the province. And not one of them had ever heard a peep from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Which begs the question ....
I wrote to the Director of Communications of the BCMA, a lovely young lady named Leigh Carter. And discovered that the Speaker's Service continued on long after my demise. And that dozens of doctors had given hundreds of talks throughout the province. And not one of them had ever heard a peep from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Which begs the question ....
