Tag: balanced life

State Medical Board of Ohio, Uncategorized

The truth..the whole truth and nothing but the truth

In order for your attorney to provide you with the best possible counsel, you have to tell them the truth .. the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This seems obvious, however, I find clients (or often potential clients) either don’t tell me the truth or fail to tell me the “entire story.”   The only way to effectively work with an attorney is if you tell them the entire story. It is the attorney’s job to work their way through all the information and determine what is important and what is not important information in your case.

Most of my clients are medical professionals. They have been trained to take a patient’s history and physical. They know the importance of getting the entire story from the patient. The approach the physician takes when treating a patient is largely determined by the information obtained directly from the patient.  This is exactly the same scenario in working with an attorney. If you don’t tell the attorney the truth and the ENTIRE story … their ability to help you is limited.

In addition, you should be readily forthcoming with the information for your attorney. You can’t expect your attorney to cross-examine you to get the story out or to make assumptions based on the limited information that you have provided to them.

If you are not comfortable telling your own attorney the entire story, then you need to find another attorney who you are comfortable telling the entire story. In addition, if you fail to tell your attorney your entire story, you run the risk of the information coming out in a deposition or on cross-examination, which could leave your attorney blindsided and unable to assist you.

The truth is always the best policy, especially when working with your own attorney.

As always, if you have any questions about this post or about the State Medical Board of Ohio in general, please feel free to email me at beth@collislaw.com or call me at 614-486-3909.

State Medical Board of Ohio, Uncategorized

Do you have balance in your life?

Doctors …. do you have balance in your life?

In the past, I have written about the three main areas where the State Medical Board in Ohio takes disciplinary actions against physicians: (1) for submitting false information to the Board, (2) for violating a professional boundary with a patient and (3) for issues related to drugs or alcohol (see previous post entitled, “What the Medical Board Really Cares About – Sex, Drugs and Lies”).  Recently, I looked at many of the cases before the Medical Board to determine if there are similar warning signs or red flags that may have been present before a complaint is filed with the Board. What I found is that in many instances the physician had been living a life that is out of balance.

Physicians are trained to look for signs of health (or disease) in their patients, however, too often they do not look for those warning signs in themselves. I often see that the complaint with the Medical Board is just the “final straw” in a year (or years) of a physician living an unbalanced life.  I find that, in many cases, physicians are overworked, overweight, stressed out, and living meaningless and angst filled lives. Many are taking medications to help them sleep and then other medications to help them get through their work days. Many eat out too often, haven’t seen the inside of a gym in ages (or ever), and are living meaningless, spiritless lives.

In terms of boundary violations, they rarely happen  to physicians who are in loving, supportive marriages or relationships. Many times, a physician will find themselves immersed in a Medical Board investigation when they are also in the middle of an ugly divorce or professional partnership that has taken a turn for the worst.

As physicians, you worked hard in school to put yourself in a position where you would have choices. Choices about where you work and what type of work you would like to engage in on a daily basis. Now is the time to exercise those choices and put yourself in a work environment that you find interesting, fulfilling and enjoyable.

I recently read that in tough financial times many people start to step back from their jobs (or job searches) and consider what they can do to make their overall lives better. Many have found that by spending more time with family and friends, exercising more often, and taking “control” of their lives they have found the energy and spirit to be more successful in work or in their job searches. Despite the tough economy, gym memberships were up in 2011 and many more people participated in Weight Watchers and other programs to improve the overall quality of their lives.

Doctors … look at your lives. Are you healthy, happy and fulfilled? If not, now if the time to reclaim your life and the direction of your professional career.

As always, if you have any questions about this post or about the State Medical Board of Ohio in general, please feel free to email me at beth@collislaw.com or call me at 614-486-3909.