Need a doctor? Any doctor will do



  • A few weeks ago, while driving home from work, I was listening to the radio and came across some sort of psychology/self-help show hosted by a local psychiatrist.  Pretty boring.  I don't even remember his name.  Then one day I tune in to the show and the host is on vacation and he has a fill-in who introduces himself as "Doctor Rick Rickard". Still boring. I only remember his name because my first thought was "Who the heck names their kid Rick Rickard"?  A couple of days ago I'm reading the local newspaper and I come across a picture of some people and one of the names under the photo catches my attention -- Dr. Rick Rickard, local veterenarian.



  • Nice...

    Remember Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the former radio show host who offered advice on family and relationships? Did you know she was not a psychologist, but in fact some other sort of doctor (I can't recall which now)?

    What I'd like to see sometime is an advice show hosted by folks playing the roles of Dr. Robotnik and Dr. Wily... I can imagine it now...

    Dr. Wily: Velkommen to ze Devious Doctor Duo, ze reedio eedvice show vere ze med scieenteests offer ze eedvice for ze peetiful callers!

    Caller: Hi, devious docs! Can you guys help me with this problem? My wife is cheating on me and I don't know how to approach her about it!

    Dr. Robotnik: Your wife is cheating on you? Ho ho ho! I've never been marrrrrried - I don't think rrrrobots count as wives, do they? So I'll leave this one to Dr. Wily.

    Dr. Wily: Your vife is cheating on you, you say? Vell, zat problem hess a VEEEERY seemple solution! All you need ees an orbital lesser cannon und eight robot mesters... Ohh, thees reminds me of my ex-vife Samantha... she only survived because I had only seex robot mesters zat time...



  • @ekolis said:

    Remember Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the former radio show host who offered advice on family and relationships? Did you know she was not a psychologist, but in fact some other sort of doctor (I can't recall which now)?

    Physiology. Then again, psychologists/therapists are about as good at family/relationship advice as anyone. Honestly, most of the advice is common sense and anyone (even a veterinarian) could do the job.



  •  Dr Ruth is a doctor of education.

    So is Dr Bill Cosby.  His specific qualifications are more in line with his first sitcom, where he played a gym teacher, than with Dr Huxtable.

    Dr Demento is a doctor of music.  (Doc, it hurts when I turn up my stereo too loud!)

    Dr Hook is merely an honorary title, as is my own name on this forum.



  •  @morbiuswilters said:

    Honestly, most of the advice is common sense and anyone (even a veterinarian) could do the job.


    Marriage in trouble?  Buy your wife a puppy.

    Don't get on with your son?  Have you considered getting him a puppy?

    Lonely?   Everyone knows a man's best friend is a dog. 



  • @RTapeLoadingError said:

     @morbiuswilters said:

    Honestly, most of the advice is common sense and anyone (even a veterinarian) could do the job.


    Marriage in trouble?  Buy your wife a puppy.

    Don't get on with your son?  Have you considered getting him a puppy?

    Lonely?   Everyone knows a man's best friend is a dog. 

    Don't want any more kids? Bring in the wife to have her spayed.

    Feeling under the weather? Let me stick this thermometer up yer arse.



  • Oh, and let's not forget Doctor Appleby from the JumpStart comics... Everything can be solved with a Band-Aid!


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place



  • @ekolis said:

    Oh, and let's not forget Doctor Appleby from the JumpStart comics... Everything can be solved with a Band-Aid!

    Or The Doctor who, from what I can tell, doesn't even have a degree in physiology.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @ekolis said:
    Oh, and let's not forget Doctor Appleby from the JumpStart comics... Everything can be solved with a Band-Aid!

    Or The Doctor who, from what I can tell, doesn't even have a degree in physiology.

     

    But then he doesn't generally claim to practice medicine, so you can forgive his occasional forgetfulness that most of the people around him don't have two hearts.

    Dr Zoidberg doesn't have a similar excuse.



  • @RTapeLoadingError said:

    Marriage in trouble?  Buy your wife a puppy.

    Don't get on with your son?  Have you considered getting him a puppy?

    Lonely?   Everyone knows a man's best friend is a dog. 

     

    I dislike dogs, you twit.

     



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Or The Doctor who,
     

    Not sure if did something there to be seen.



  • @da Doctah said:

    But then he doesn't generally claim to practice medicine...

    Hmm.. well, somebody in a TARDIS had me turn my head and cough..



  • @Cassidy said:

    Don't want any more kids? Bring in the wife to have her spayed.

    Feeling under the weather? Let me stick this thermometer up yer arse.


    Kinky!!



  • @El_Heffe said:

    Dr. Rick Rickard, local veterenarian.

    Love it.  This is why Sam Losco is my all-time favorite TV "doctor" (vet).  He doesn't let any stupid "licensing rules" stand in his way.

    Most people haven't the foggiest idea about the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist.  Complicating this is the fact that, in many jurisdictions, you need therapy training, but not necessarily a degree in psychology, to do psychotherapy.

     



  • @DrBen said:

    Most people haven't the foggiest idea about the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

    Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs... that's the only difference, right?



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs... that's the only difference, right?

    In a couple of states in the US (New Mexico and Louisiana, I believe), psychologists can prescribe, too, thus removing any effective difference, other than the tremendous difference in training.

    (A psychiatrist is a physician, and a psychologist has a graduate degree in psychology.)

     



  • @DrBen said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs... that's the only difference, right?

    In a couple of states in the US (New Mexico and Louisiana, I believe), psychologists can prescribe, too, thus removing any effective difference, other than the tremendous difference in training.

    (A psychiatrist is a physician, and a psychologist has a graduate degree in psychology.)

     

    I'm pretty sure more states than that allow psychologists to prescribe psychiatric drugs. Also, some states permit counselors or social workers to prescribe a limited range of drugs. And generally I think someone can by a psychologist with only a bachelor's.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    I'm pretty sure more states than that allow psychologists to prescribe psychiatric drugs. Also, some states permit counselors or social workers to prescribe a limited range of drugs. And generally I think someone can by a psychologist with only a bachelor's.

     As of last year it was still just NM and LA.  There was pending legislation in a couple of other states as recently as a year ago (Oregon, Hawaii, New Jersey, maybe a couple others?) that would allow psychologists to prescribe, but I haven't kept track lately.

    And yeah, I suppose you can be a "psychologist" with a bachelor's, although different states have different rules on licensing to practice therapy.  Where I am, it has to be at least a master's to get a "licensed psychologist" postnomial.

    As far as other prescribers, most states allow prescribing by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, but I'm not aware of any jurisdictions that allow social workers to prescribe.  I suppose it's possible, but I haven't heard of it.  And personally, I wouldn't be in favor.

     



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @DrBen said:
    Most people haven't the foggiest idea about the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

    Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs... that's the only difference, right?

    A psychiatrist is a real doctor (M.D.) and has all the education and training required to become an M.D.  Requirements for psychologists are typically:

    A PhD is usually required for independent practice as a
    psychologist.

    A Master's degree in psychology may work as
    industrial-organizational psychologists. They also may work as assistants conducting research under the direct
    supervision of doctoral-level psychologists. 

    A bachelor's degree in psychology qualifies a person to assist
    psychologists and other professionals.

    In most states psychologists cannot write prescriptions. However, there has been a recent
    push to grant prescribing powers to psychologists. Some states such as
    New Mexico and Louisiana now grant prescribing privileges to psychologists who also have a post-doctoral masters degree in psychopharmacology.



  • @El_Heffe said:

    A few weeks ago, while driving home from work, I was listening to the radio and came across some sort of psychology/self-help show hosted by a local psychiatrist.  Pretty boring.  I don't even remember his name.  Then one day I tune in to the show and the host is on vacation and he has a fill-in who introduces himself as "Doctor Rick Rickard". Still boring. I only remember his name because my first thought was "Who the heck names their kid Rick Rickard"?  A couple of days ago I'm reading the local newspaper and I come across a picture of some people and one of the names under the photo catches my attention -- Dr. Rick Rickard, local veterenarian.

    We have a radio program where I live that's similar. I don't think it's the same person... I'm from the part of the US that sucks and I think you're from The North, and our guy is local. The host is almost every kind of Doctor except the kind that can actually practice medicine. He's a DVM, like your example, and also an ND at the very least... he may be a Chiropodist as well. Personally, if I were a legit DVM, or even a Pharmacist or an Optometrist, I think I'd just be happy with that and leave the MD stuff to the MDs. If you pretend you can work on people, you're just asking for trouble. There's a certain category of weirdo that just can't accept the fact that they didn't actually go to medical school, I guess.



  • Over here psychiatrists are making more money then psychologist. Also anyone who does Bachelor of Art degree can be a psychologist. If you want to be a psychiatrist, you need to first complete your MBBS and then do specialise (M.D.).

    As to drugs, the local chemist is also giving out drugs if you are in the know.



  • @Nagesh said:

    Over here psychiatrists are making more money then psychologist.
     

    Of course they do. Psychiatrists have actual jobs.

    @Nagesh said:

    As to drugs, the local chemist is also giving out drugs if you are in the know.

    You should watch a show called Breaking Bad. I hear it's awesome.

     



  • @dhromed said:

    You should watch a show called Breaking Bad.
     

    Mmmm... that's on my list. How you getting on with Dexter?


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place

    Apropos of not a lot, we have a 'TV Celebrity' over here called Dr. Gillian McKeith.



    Or as Ben Goldacre would say: "To give her full medical title - Gillian McKeith."



    A google search for [poo lady] should bring up her Wiki page as 1st or 2nd hit. (The search should be SFW for most people - unless your search history involves a lot of coprophilia...).



    [goldacre torch chlorophill] gives further insight as to the usefulness of her doctorate.



  • @bridget99 said:

    I'm from the part of the US that sucks and I think you're from The North,
    Who ever said that the north doesn't suck?



  • @Cassidy said:

    How you getting on with Dexter?
     

    Still haven't watched more than the first ep.



  • @El_Heffe said:

    @bridget99 said:

    I'm from the part of the US that sucks and I think you're from The North,
    Who ever said that the north doesn't suck?

    William Tecumseh Sherman?



  • @PJH said:

    Apropos of not a lot, we have a 'TV Celebrity' over here called Dr. Gillian McKeith.
     

    ISTR Private Eye covering the squabble between her and Goldacre - in particular how she was leading the public astray about her credentials.

    @dhromed said:

    @Cassidy said:

    ...Dexter?
     

    Still haven't watched more than the first ep.


    Takes a few to get into it. SWMBO (and my folks) didn't like it after watching the first one, but once persevering they're all hooked. Give it until ep4, then decide.

    If you do like S1, watch S2 immediately after - but take a break before S3. That's probably the weakest out of the lot.



  • @Cassidy said:

    @dhromed said:

    @Cassidy said:

    ...Dexter?
     

    Still haven't watched more than the first ep.


    Takes a few to get into it.

     

    Oh, no, I was hooked right from the first one! That shit is awesome.

     


Log in to reply