From the Atlantic-Doctors, manage your messages well

http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/10/why-doctors-protest-too-much/245587/

Why Doctors Protest Too Much
OCT 3 2011, 8:59 AM ET 11
We have the right to be political actors -- doctors are citizens too -- but we risk harming the default credibility that comes with the profession if we don't choose our battles carefully

"Doctors are in the cross-hairs of the nation's politics more than ever. We're all being asked to achieve more with less. We must cope with nightmare scenarios precipitated by cracks in the social and healthcare infrastructure so often these days that medical schools insist students become effective patient advocates as well as healers. Practicing good medicine necessitates navigating a minefield of competing interests. Doctors are increasingly tempted to just walk out, to lay down the pen, or to use their power in ways that subvert the system."

"Doctors have achieved their standing in society through the delivery of highly skilled services to those in dire need. When we engage in hotheaded public protest and civil disobedience, we must have a reason that rises to the level of endangering our ability to practice medicine at all, and a clear explanation for how our actions fit into the medical narrative we all share. If we do not manage our messages well, others will interpret our actions for us, and we cannot expect their version to be favorable."