An article about medical bloggers in this Sunday’s Dallas Morning News (requires free but annoying registration). Yrs. Trly is featured, and there’s even a photo (which shows why I’m a blogger and not on TV).
Medical pros connect online
Blogs and online forums by, for health care workers, students provide insights, support
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, May 7, 2006
By SUSAN KREIMER / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning NewsIn the world of blogs, he’s known as GruntDoc. It’s a throwback to his stint as a surgeon in the U.S. Marine Corps, where infantrymen were somewhat affectionately called "grunts."
"Now I’m an emergency medicine doc who just works shifts. I’m a grunt in the doctor world," said Dr. (read the article), 42, of Emergency Medical Consultants Ltd. He works primarily at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital. In his spare time, he runs a Web site to educate as well as entertain (www.gruntdoc.com).
"My blog traffic is a ripple on the big pond, getting 500 to 800 unique visitors a day, with just a few commenters," he said. "The comments are generally very good, and I frequently learn a lot from them."
Blogs and forums hosted by health professionals and students are proliferating. They may be miles, even continents, apart. But in cyberspace they connect. Through words and experiences, they provide an insider’s glimpse into their fields.
"A person may think that their desire to help people is out of step and perhaps a bit odd," said Peter Lucash, a former hospital administrator who is a Charleston, S.C.-based business consultant to medical practices. "Reading some of these blogs is a confirmation that these feelings are real, that others share them – and that there is purpose, value and honor in going down this path.
"Blogs such as the ones written by nurses and physicians, who tend to be highly opinionated and self-assured people, offer different perspectives on the highs and lows of the job. TV shows give a very false impression of the day-to-day working life in health care."
…
Doctor’s views…
The most sought-after and hilarious page of his blog features a rap video from nurses at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. A co-worker told him about it after receiving word via e-mail.
"I liked it so much I decided to host it," … "I got an e-mail from one of the performers in the video a few months back letting me know they’re making a rap album, with more of the same type of songs."
…
"The ED [emergency department] is a remarkable place, much more interesting than on TV," he mused.
Although most would classify him as a medical blogger, health care isn’t the sole subject of his ramblings.
He also blogs about family, auto racing and anything else that interests him.
"The occasional spleen-venting I find very therapeutic," … "I don’t have any real goals with my blog or blogging, other than to stay sane."
A nice article, and I’m deep into my fifteen minutes here.
Other blogs mentioned:
allnurses.com
www.advanceweb.com/pa
And, Dmitriy Kruglyak, publisher of the Medical Blog Network is the person who got me involved in this interview. His site URL isn’t given in the article (neither are several other bloggers), which seems quite a dead-tree thing to do, especially in an article about blogs.
Man, are you moving up in the world. A write-up in my old home-town newspaper, with a glamor shot to boot! Good going!
Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to cash that check you wrote me for “One Great Big Hundred Thousand Million Dollars”. Yes, I still have it.
The pholks are, once again, busting our buttons!
ok, stupid question grunt doc, I’m assuming the answer is no, and this is a coincidence. But, now that I’ve seen your picture, know your age and I know you used to live in Fresno, I have to ask the question.
You did not, by chance go to junior high in Hanford, CA did you? You are not THAT [GruntDoc]?… cause, that would be way … it’s a small world weird!!!
Ed: [ ] by me.
Nope. I grew up in Odessa, Texas.
Congratulations, although you deserve a LOT more than 15 minutes AND you don’t give yourself enough credit in the looks dept! : )
Made into not only my local paper, but every town paper in the Bay Area and no one even asked me! One doctor at Medmusings gave an interview, and I wound up with my name and blog address described as “the lighter side” of medical blogging! LOL!
Famous, with no effort! Works for me!
Congrats! And you are fun in person too!