Forum 10: Dealing with Frankenstein

In 1818, Mary Shelly wrote the novel ‘Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus’ Frankenstein was the name of the doctor who takes body parts from the graveyard, sutures them together and electrocutes the corpse to life. Ironically, people call the monster the doctor’s name instead. Adam’s (the created) goal is to find meaning to its life. Dr. Frankenstein offers no answer and instead gloats at his success in creating life. Adam then finds meaning in destroying the doctor and his family then leaving into the Artic wastes. Krusen and Rusk are the forefathers of Physiatry. To do their work, reconstruction aids were trained. In other places, nurses took up the role or gymnastic teachers. This has grown into a plethora of therapist courses. An overwhelming feature of these paramedical courses is the minimisation of basic sciences while focusing on technical skills. Graduates then stay subservient or seek to fill their curiosity by entering higher levels of training. These paramedical services are not cures but supplements or palliative measures. Because the cause is not being treated a cure is not expected by the clinician ordering it. This is not true for the patient suffering though. In this way, paramedicals have grabbed acupuncture, yoga, etc. to stay relevant. Physiatrists of yore created this problem by leaving them unsupervised. This nonsense still goes on in some places. As paramedicals have expanded outside of our area into other departments, they now have a free hand to dictate terms to doctors who are clueless about what they can and should do. These doctors often believe a physiatrist simply writes therapy orders, which most any fool can do. In the worst, they see themselves as liberators of the oppressed therapist. As they lack exposure to actual rehabilitation, their ignorance is excusable. The lack of curiosity and respect for our discipline is not. Scope creep happening. Frankenstein is empowered with every step. The question remains. What is the solution? Now open is the forum. Responses meet the quorum! Do so with decorum. Silence is not aurum.