Twitter. Not sure what I just got us into, with the social bits.
Yesterday I received a tweet thing, someone asking whether I have a medical degree. I respond with a link to Steve Leung’s interview. I feel it addresses the question while adding necessary context. If I’d taken more time, I might have added this:
I’m not “practicing medicine”. In the sense that we understand the term, we refer to a very specific and regulated profession which deals with treating illness. I don’t treat illness. The very core premise of #endmyopia is that your eyes are not in any way ill, or broken. There is nothing to treat, or to cure.
Because of this you might instead think of me as the eye guru, rather than an optometrist or doctor. A guru is a knowledgeable guide, somebody you might seek out to learn, whereas a doctor is someone you’d look to for a treatment.
I teach, they treat. Entirely different premises.
This is something that deserves more prominence on the site – I’ll probably add it to the “about” page soon.
Also check out this great article about traditional medicine, and how China found the cure for malaria – not with the help of modern medicine, interestingly enough.
Cheers,
-Jake
