Change Is the Only Answer
Dear Editor:
In my opinion, change is the only thing that will keep our profession together. We have lost credibility by limiting our scope of practice and allowing others to limit it out of fear. In some states, we legally cannot use the title physician when referring to ourselves.
Changing our statutes is key. I presented one while I was serving on the Missouri State Board of Examiners. It won't go anywhere, though, because our profession is just about as united as our Congress. Every legislator I've spoken with has always said the same thing: "Show me you are unified and I will support your bill."
Whether you know it or not, naturopathic doctors have gained ground in legislative bodies because they are unified. They will soon introduce legislation that will again limit our profession.
Acquiring knowledge though proper continuing-education programs doesn't mean we have to use those skills. It means we are educated in them, but have chosen not to use them. It is called credibility. If someone denounces a procedure or skill without being educated about it, they lose credibility.
If we don't advance, then in every state in our country, we can only continue to do what we have done as a profession for years: advocate methods and procedures to get new patients that don't work for most of us. Ask yourself this: How many medical doctors do you see trying to get new patients? Most are connected with hospitals that pay them a good salary; they are trying to find ways to get time off. Sure, new doctors have to get started, and this always requires new patients, but only chiropractic doctors seem to continue "advertising" in some way for new patients year after year.
Read some of the newspapers today; you'll find listings for chiropractic bankruptcy. How many of your spouses don't want to answer the phone any more when it rings (you know why).
Change – and change now – is the only answer. I'm retired, so I'll just watch. I did my best, but the radicals won. If we don't change, medical doctors will be doing some form of manipulation and alternative health care as part of their practices in the future ... and we will be selling ourselves in poverty.
Thomas J. Curnutte, DC, NMD
Columbia, Mo.
