• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Psychology Today Opinion piece regarding the IOM release

I

IreneF

Senior Member
Messages
1,552
Location
San Francisco
anciendaze said:
He is in a very strange position, since he does not have a medical degree, yet is a full professor on the faculty teaching psychiatry, which requires a medical degree. An interview reveals that he never had an interest in quantitative science, yet did attend 2 years of medical school, where he seems to have picked up jargon and prejudices.
Click to expand...
Wow. He understands very little about psychiatry. Two years of medical school didn't cut it.
 
Kati

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
University of Toronto: Standards of Professional Behaviour for Medical Clinical Faculty

Section 1

Professional conduct extends to use of the internet and electronic communication in all settings. Useful guidance may be found in the postgraduate document Guidelines for Appropriate Use of the Internet,

Electronic Networking and Other Media, 2008

http://www.pgme.utoronto.ca/Assets/Policies/Guidelines+Internet.pdf
Click to expand...


Section 2

Clinical faculty members will not engage in actions inconsistent with the appropriate standards of professional behaviour and ethical performance, including but not limited to the following conduct:

  1. Creation of a hostile environment5
    1. 1.1. Failure to work collaboratively in patient care

    2. 1.2. Intemperate language: rudeness, profanity, insults, demeaning remarks, verbal abuse or

      intimidation

    3. 1.3. Inappropriate remarks or jokes about race, gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance,

      disabilities, or economic and educational status.

    4. 1.4. Bullying

    5. 1.5. Recurring outbursts of anger: shouting; throwing or breaking objects

    6. 1.6. Violence & threats of violence

    7. 1.7. Inhibiting others from carrying out their appropriate duties

    8. 1.8. Disparaging public remarks about the character or patient care of another physician or

      health professional.
  2. Intimidation & Harassment:
    1. 2.1. Use of ridicule in the work environment or as an instructional technique

    2. 2.2. Inappropriate assignment of duties to influence behaviour or as a “punishment”

    3. 2.3. Denying appropriate opportunities for learning and experience

    4. 2.4. Inhibiting learners from providing appropriate feedback and evaluation of teachers and

      experiences

    5. 2.5. Interfering with the reporting of improper conduct

    6. 2.6. Sexual harassment or impropriety6
  3. Discrimination:
3.1. Making distinctions based on criteria irrelevant to the decision in question, particularly

those protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code: race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, or disability.
Click to expand...


Section 3

SECTION 3 REPORTING OF PROBLEMS AND INITIAL RESPONSE

The Faculty of Medicine will emphasize development of behaviour consistent with these standards. Each member of the Clinical Faculty should strive to demonstrate the positive behaviours and encourage them in colleagues. Collectively, physicians have an obligation to patients and society to strive for a level of behaviour consistent with these standards; this is the basis of self‐regulation
Click to expand...

(My bold)
 
Kati

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
adreno said:
I'm not sure how these things work, but I'm thinking that a complaint from a single patient won't have much impact. But if it came from an association of patients, it might.
Click to expand...
Un my thing, Adreno, I agree with you but one of the representant from said organization asked me:what do you want us to do? She said, I mean, the blog post has been taken down...

She didn't get it.
 
alex3619

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
adreno said:
Yes. However, it would be great if we could organize an association that can handle patient interests, and formally respond when situations like this arise. Are there none at the moment? Sorry, I'm not up to date on this.
Click to expand...
I was moving to make a proposal along these lines when I wound up in hospital. There was a planned blog that I have yet to finish. We need some kind of global organization that can deal with issues.

My main focus at the time was a clearing house for sound information for journalists. However I was aware that we needed more.
 
Snowdrop

Snowdrop

Rebel without a biscuit
Messages
2,933
University of Toronto contacts:

Molyn Leszcz: Interim department chair, department of psychiatry (since fall of 2014): mleszcz@mtsinai.on.ca (the address is for Mt Sinai hospital but that's the contact given on the UofT website)

Dr L Trevor Young: Dean, faculty of medicine (since January 2015): ltrevor.young@utoronto.ca
Dr Young was formerly the chair of the department of psychiatry

Professor Nicholas Terpstra: chair of the faculty of History: nicholas.terpstra@utoronto.ca
 
T

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Countrygirl said:
I caught a rumour circulating on the 'net which claims that just before the article was pulled a new comment appeared stating that Dr Shorter's blog insulted not only the patients but the also the researchers into this condition.......................it was signed............... Prof Simon Wessely....................allegedly. :D
Click to expand...

sighs..so maybe it didnt get pulled the the ones who run the site then, maybe it got pulled by the Dr Shorter himself due to his mentor ie Wessely not approving his action.

Sounds like Wessely going into damage control for himself (hence a comment) as he doesnt want to have to be seen approving this article which he knows people will take as outrageous.
 
T

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Valentijn said:
Anyone can use any name when leaving comments ... so it probably was not him.
Click to expand...

I personally wouldnt be surprised if it was him, it makes sense for him to do it as he probably wants to like publically distance himself from Dr Shorter (who was preaching Wessely CFS stuff) and the backlash there and him posting a disapproving comment in own his name would be a sure way to do that.

One thing about Wessely is that guy is very smart, he wouldnt be where he was today if he wasnt .. and making that comment in his own name would be very smart thing to do for several reasons.

Some of the terms used in Shorters article against us..were originally from Wessely... so his comment will end up leaving people with impression he didnt agree with any of it.

Wessely is obviously trying to go into damage control for himself and distance himself from his own past comments which nowdays we hear coming out of the months of others. Trying to make himself now look like a good guy. Its all about politics to him.

He would of lost some respect out of the IOM report and now needs to gain some back. Shooting down Shorter makes him look good to many (including to other psychs). :( I bet that guy will come back on top even if all his theories are shown to be completely damaging.

(It reminds me of Ryan Prior.. the one with ME got thrown into a pool when he was a young boy to try to prove he wasnt really sick but then who sank to the bottom as he was too weak and had to be saved. Wessely distanced himself from that incident as it was another who was following Wessely beliefs who threw him in if Im remembering correctly. Watch now others take the rap for Wessely's beliefs.. while he's going to try to look like hero when he can).
 
Last edited:
T

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Kati said:
University of Toronto: Standards of Professional Behaviour for Medical Clinical Faculty

SECTION 3 REPORTING OF PROBLEMS AND INITIAL RESPONSE

The Faculty of Medicine will emphasize development of behaviour consistent with these standards. Each member of the Clinical Faculty should strive to demonstrate the positive behaviours and encourage them in colleagues. Collectively, physicians have an obligation to patients and society to strive for a level of behaviour consistent with these standards; this is the basis of self‐regulation
Click to expand...

I wonder if the ME/CFS group could call for a public appology from Shorter thou his university?? I dont think that would be an unreasonable thing to start a some kind of campaign up calling for one. He SHOULD appologise or should leave his position there after writing something that untruthful and terrible towards a patient group.
 
T

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
adreno said:
I'm not sure how these things work, but I'm thinking that a complaint from a single patient won't have much impact. But if it came from an association of patients, it might.
Click to expand...

Maybe the patient group could also start up a petition over it... calling for an appology or resignation. The guy probably would rather resign then appologise..

(we should not let him get away with this.. if someone did this to AIDS patients or cancer or anything else, they wouldnt get away with it.. they would be kicked out. I dont think we should as a patient group, let this guy get away with his statements with no reprecussions). We need to stop this kind of thing so others do not do it!!

If the ME/CFS patient group started a petition over this calling for an appology from him or a resignation and showing in the petition what he said.. it would also help show to others the shocking degree of insults we get from some in the profession so would be good advocacy for us there too.
.......

Our situation has been controlled by politics for a long time.. we need to get more political too..
 
Last edited:
adreno

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
taniaaust1 said:
sighs..so maybe it didnt get pulled the the ones who run the site then, maybe it got pulled by the Dr Shorter himself due to his mentor ie Wessely not approving his action.

Sounds like Wessely going into damage control for himself (hence a comment) as he doesnt want to have to be seen approving this article which he knows people will take as outrageous.
Click to expand...
Why would wessely comment on the article, rather than contacting Shorter directly and privately? That makes no sense. I don't think it was him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.