Should or shouldn't the prefix "Doctor" on Y/A be screened and verified?

Question

Is there a chance that people who do use the prefix Doc or doctor on Y/A (even as an avatar) and confusing the public be verified. Can they be called out to present their credentials?

Lately there is to many of so called "doctors" on this site, relaying on the good name of doctor-ship.
As everyone knows there is a deep seated trust to the medical profession by the main population.
I believe that some of them are just using it to their advantage - to give more power to the rants they actually producing on our Alt/Med site.

What is your opinion about this fraud.

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Kudos to you for calling attention to an issue that has bothered me for a long time.

I am a published biologist, who has taught future doctors and worked for and with medical doctors. All those that claim to be doctors are not even biology undergrads.

Whenever I answer a health question, here or in real life, I make certain that I'm accurate, or I say that I don't know. People expect a degree of integrity when they ask me something, in my capacity as a biologist, and I was taught to deliver on that level of integrity.

My advise to everyone is "asker beware".

God bless.

Answer 3

I think it's very unethical for someone to claim to be a doctor when they're not, but this is the internet, not a hospital. If you read over the terms of agreement on Y!A you'll see that they are not responsible for the accuracy of the answers here, and it's just common sense to not believe everything that you read online. The advice doled out here should be taken as just that - advice for you to consider and perhaps do you our research on, not factual information. I'm actually astonished anybody would simply accept that a person on a site like this calling themselves a doctor actually was one, or would want verification. I can't even tell if what you're writing is a farce or if you truly are upset and want people on a free, public internet site to have to give their credentials. This just blows my mind. From the age of eight when I started going online my parents told me to be skeptical. When I was 13 and started using sites like MySpace they said to never accept anyone I didn't personally know because the person claiming to be a girl my age could be a middle-aged pedophile. So, from day one on this site I actually assumed that most people who claimed to be doctors weren't. I mean, there are Alan Alda and Steve Urkel clones, people saying they're Jesus Christ, those claiming to be billionaires, and so many other blatant lies. Why would you believe any of them? I mean, the whole "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the Internet" thing is so obvious. I used to be a Top Contributor in the Cancer section, and was stunned when I started getting emails from people who seemed to think I knew what I was talking about and wanted medical advice. I never claimed to be a doctor, and was so stunned by the emails I put a disclaimer on my profile that I'm just a 17 year old writing about my own experience with cancer, and I have no medical training at all, so take everything I write with a grain of salt.



There is absolutely no way you can get anyone to prove they are who they say they are on this site, and that especially includes those with professional credentials. My mother is a doctor, and though she doesn't use this site, if she did she would never submit personal information like that because of the enormous liability. Doctors are prime targets for lawsuits, and if they were held responsible for the information they gave to absolute strangers they've never even met, let alone treated, they would be so tangled up in litigation they'd never get to practice.



There are trolls and ranters and total losers and lunatics in every section of virtually every site of the internet. They all want attention. A fake doctor in the Alternative Medicine section isn't really something any more worthy of being upset over than the person claiming to be God in Religion & Spirituality. Do you have any idea how many pedos and sexual predators and psychopaths messing with kids are in the section for preteens and teens? Don't you think that's a bigger problem then what you're complaining about? I mean, have you never heard of Lori Drew? Seriously. Don't get bees in your bonnet about something like a wannabe doctor. It's not "fraud", it's the freaking internet. And if you don't want to give power to rants, just skip the question or report it. As I wrote above, all trolls are just wanting to provoke and get attention. A question like this just shines the spotlight for them to bask in.

Answer 4

well i dont think yahoo will go out of its way, it's already making loads of profits from the users coming here and seeing their ads. yahoo has many pages.



those doctors pretend to be the 'know it all' and the students who are in medical school act like that too. still, full fledged doctors can be wrong also. this is why anyone that believes someone when they say they're a doctor....well that's just too much trust.



doctors are medical advisors and prescribers of medication, the patient has the final say.

and as for the fraud...i hate it.

Answer 5

I think it should, but yahoo will never go that far into screening its users.



While I do know there are several legit Drs and nurses answering medical questions, I have also seen many many answers with the title but giving completely wrong information.



Personally, I think this is the wrong place to come for medical advice, but I have a problem when people get incorrect medical advice and then go follow it.

Answer 6

Would you like to start by calling out Avicenna/Truthseeker, who has passionately supported your suggestion here?



Until very recently he described himself as a 'doctor' in his profile information.



Shouldn't be too hard, eh Avicenna/Truthseeker?



===============



EDIT. @ Aristo -the posts from the 5 'doctors' you mention are in fact MALWARE.



YA asks that such posts always be reported; give the reason as 'malware'.



Opening the links they give will damage your computer. They are the reason that Level one users are no longer allowed to post live links.



They're easy to spot; the account will have been opened that same day, and they will have given exactly the same answer to a large number of questions.



They usually begin 'I'm a doctor - take xxxxxx', or 'I found this awesome website' or ' This is a great website with some wonderful options for you'.



On this forum, they usually provide a link containing the words 'homeremedies' and urge you to keep using YA.



Never open them, always report them.

Answer 7

Not really relevant, except those who fall for the 'appeal to authority' fallacy.



Much better for them to show their credentials in their answers; The pretend doctors slip up very rapidly when they try and explain anything above high school science. As Rhianna has so excellently put it, this site is for opinions only, you'd have to be completely insane to think it replaces a trip to your own doctor.



(I also do understand that some completely insane people use this site, but they'll do what they like whatever someone's title is).

Answer 8

I can't speak for everyone, but Dr. Frank and I have no problem with Yahoo checking our educational and registration details if they want (providing they guarantee privacy.)



I'm sure SkepDoc wouldn't mind either, but then you people think we are the same person anyway right? (by the way, thats hilarious!)



The problem is, the alties have an annoying habit of attacking peoples credibility when they cannot argue a particular subject, so I understand your need to post this question. You've asked people for their opinions about this "fraud" so basically you've made your mind up about us anyway?



Also, I don't think our profession gives us more advantage when debating AltMed. You don't have to be a Doctor or Nurse to use logic and critical thinking. Lo_mcg, Gary and Dave aren't health care workers but they give excellent answers.

I think the problem is perhaps your own insecurity and maybe you feel your answers aren't good enough because you are not a health care worker. I sometimes put my profession as my source but by doing this, I am not trying to say my answer is superior because I am a Nurse, it's just where my knowledge comes from. I rarely put my profession as a source when answering Altmed answers because it isn't relevant.



Finally, this isn't a medical site and people should really be seeing their own Doctor about any health concerns they have and not taking advice from strangers on the internet. I always advise this. It's a no brainer.

Answer 9

So now alties want me to prove that I'm a real MD? Why? They don't believe in conventional medicine anyway so why should they believe me more if I prove I really am one?



What does it matter whether or not someone is a real doctor? You really don't need to be one in order to prove that alt med is bunk. All you need is a critical mind or the ability to distinguish BS from real stuff.



This whether or not a poster is a real doctor or a fake is just another distraction from the real issue. Does alternative medicine work or not?



Well, does it?



edit: On second thought, sure, I wouldn't mind Yahoo verifying my credentials. However, this still is all just a distraction. Prove that alt med works. Prove it.



edit 2: Avicenna, you're such a coward, sending me a threatening email and then blocking me from replying. I'm seriously thinking of forwarding it to Yahoo Answers. Don't even think of emailing me with garbage like that again or I will reveal what you say to everyone.



edit 3: You're actually challenging me to a fight? What are you, ten years old? If violence is all you can answer to me, then you really are not worthy of my attention.

Answer 10

Yes, your idea is excellent. However, I don't think Y/A would or could ever enforce the policy. There is even controversy over the use of the term "doctor." In some states, naturopaths can refer to themselves as doctors, while in other states they can't. "Doctor" can also apply to people with Ph.D.s rather than M.D.s. So a person with a Ph.D. in sociology could refer to themselves as Dr. so-and-so.



I share your anger when "doctors" come onto the alt med section and let out all their venom against alt med. Then they use the doctor avatar, suggesting they have all the answers.



There are other problems with Y/A. I wrote several times in the place for suggestions that there should be a separate category for people interested in spirituality (yoga, medictation, etc.). I have seen other people make very similar comments, but Y/A never listens.



What we are stuck with is a Religion and Spirituality category where mostly fundamentalist Christians are continually spiteful of any other religion or form of spirituality. Then there are loads of atheists always harassing anyone who believes in any sort of deity at all.

Answer 11

Would be a good idea.



A certain martial arts board I post on will verify certain things like if you are a black belt in certain arts, former military, etc. and give you a little "title badge" on your profile.



Verifying if someone is a doctor (or even a lawyer) would be easy by comparison.



EDIT: Angrydoc, do it! the guy is abusive and should have threats exposed to everyone.

Answer 12

I don't have a particular problem with that...other than the privacy issues.... as I agree, there are a lot of people on here who refer to themselves as "doctor", but who clearly don't have a clue what they are talking about. I won't mention names, as that will get me reported...but they are pretty obvious. But I don't have to tell YOU about that now, do I? Should we get you to provide credentials to prove you are a grandmother, for example? I should also note that many Alties claim various qualifications as well....so, I'm sure you would support EVERY one proving their various credentials? Right?



If there was a confidential way for Y!A to review my credentials, and verify that I am who I say I am....would you really care though? Since I get attacked for the information I post, does it really matter what my qualifications are, as Alties reject conventional educations and experience anyway.



I think the quality of answers should be helpful for those who want to sort out the real docs from the fake docs, the internet docs, the wannabe docs. There are also lots of naturopathic docs, PhD etc. as well



But why draw the line there? Maybe EVERYBODY should have to register and be verified, their IP addresses documented, their ID verified....that would help cut down on the harassment and abuse that goes on this site. Several of us have had threatening emails from Alt Medders on this board in the last few days...from people who appear to be mentally deranged. Physical threats against our lives, threats to have us banned from Yahoo, the internet, and attack our families as well. I think it is more important THOSE people should be vetted. The people with multiple accounts. But hey.....again....I don't have to tell YOU about that, do I???



Generally speaking, what you will find on here is that the real doctors don't give specific medical advice or recommendations. We always say that you need to be seen , examined by your own doctor, and that giving medical advice to strangers over the internet is not good practice. We give general advice...we correct the claims of the Alties...and we don't offer to sell you anything, or direct you to websites that sell anything, and don't claim to be able to cure everything.



The other point is that I am just being honest about who I am, my education and interests. I don't have multiple accounts, unlike many of the Alties on this board. I really couldn't care less whether you believe I'm a doctor or not. I am not claiming MD as "an authority" on any topic, it's just part of who I am, and I answer questions in other categories as well. Furthermore, it is not necessary to have an MD or even any medical education to debunk Alt Med...all that is needed is the ability to be able to think critically. This quality is lacking in most of the virulent AM posters on this board.

Answer 13

No. This is the internet. If you want proper medical advice, see a doctor in person.



Screening for quacks would be a better idea - but wait, some of us already do that. With little thanks, I might add.

Answer 14

Where do you stop, do you want to see the qulifications of electricians & builders that answer questions? After all the wrong advice in these trades could kill or harm you.

Answer 15

A bit like prohibition in America, a wonderful idea but impossible to police.



Dr. B is a good example, a ranter against conventional medicine in favour of mumbo jumbo altmeds.



I would also have Dr. Alex screened, an obviously changing avatar used to advertise alt/meds.



https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20100226231920AAp7fFO

Answer 16

Dr of what - medicine or quackery? But yes for both.

Answer 17

Yes.

For few years I have been calling out some of the so called "doctors" and "nurses" on our Alternative Medicine site - but to my great disappointment I never got the challenge going - for obvious reasons.



And judging from the response given to your question I have only one thing to say.



Proverb:

The Duck which is hurt by the shotgun pellet quacks more and lauder than the rest of the flock......



In layman's terms - the guilty parties are defending their stand and position most vigorously.



Observe and Judge.

-------------------------------------------------------

Hey Angry - hold your Chocobos.



If you think I am a coward, I am willing to come to Philippines.

Just for the weekend.

Do you like boxing? I do. It is a great sport.



By the way "sweetie", you have been blocked for more than a month now.

Get your books in order and publish whatever your heart desires.

Answer 18

Well thats a nice idea, but how would you ever actually do it?