I’m going to put on my Grumpy Old Man hat (some would ask if I ever take it off) and say that doctors need to shut up more about things outside their field of expertise. Most doctors are pretty bright and are pretty keen to share their opinions on all sorts of topics — medical and non-medical. And, yes, I include myself in that camp. But sometimes those opinions can get a bit silly, especially when coming from major medical organizations and journals. For example, I can understand the American Medical Association speaking out on, say, the opioid crisis or vaccination policy. But I get annoyed when they start taking positions on climate change or immigration, even if I might agree with them on some of their specifics. Similarly, the New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article on nuclear disarmament. As one of my friends wryly noted, “Without concerned doctors, no one would know that it is bad to be shot, blasted, irradiated, or incinerated.” I especially like Kevin Drum’s take on this phenomenon: Doctors have expertise in the area of human health: that is, the biology and physiology of the human body. But that’s not the same thing as the safety of the human body. Not only do doctors have no special professional expertise in this area, but it’s simply too wide open. Does your car have air bags? Do you ever jaywalk? Have you checked your electrical outlets lately? Is your house built to withstand an earthquake? Do you know how to work safely on your roof? Do you make sure to watch your kids in the pool? Are you planning any trips to eastern Ukraine? I could go on forever in this vein. These are things unrelated to human physiology. If you define them all as health risks, you’re simply defining every aspect of life as a health risk, and therefore your doctor’s concern. That goes too far, and I don’t blame people for sometimes reacting badly to it. Of course, doctors have the same free speech rights as any individuals, and are free to offer their thoughts on climate change or foreign policy like anyone else. But when medical organizations and medical journals start offering opinions outside their field of expertise, they simply harm their credibility and sound silly — or arrogant. Doctors penning editorials about nuclear weapons policy makes as much sense to me as foreign policy experts writing about colon cancer screening. In short, doctors might want to talk less and shut up more. And I’m going to follow my own advice and shut up now. H. L. Mencken, my favorite curmudgeon. Source
