Call Me a Doctor...

Beyond infancy, accidents, homicide and suicide are by far the most common causes of death in the pediatric population. A pediatrician who ignores this fact is not doing his job--to act as an advocate for the health and welfare of children.

Another pediatrician with an agenda has weighed in on the propriety of asking patients about guns in the home. I looked up Dr. Thomas W. Young and, while his credentials in his field are top notch, I can find nothing to indicate that outside his field he is qualified to offer opinions that patients can rely on to make informed choices about firearm safety.

Having co-designed a form some years ago to assess physician qualifications and liability in this matter, I contacted Ochsner, the clinic in which Dr. Young practices, with the following inquiry:


I see Dr. Young's opinion piece regarding the propriety of pediatricians asking people about guns in the home:
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/032006/03142006/173495

Dr. Young certainly has impressive credentials and board certifications, but I find nothing to indicate he is trained or competent to dispense firearms safety advice. He may be tops in his field, but I wouldn't necessarily go to him for advice on car repair, investments or safe gun handling, etc.--unless he could demonstrate expertise.

Would Dr. Young be willing to complete a Physician Qualification and Liability form:
(http://www.keepandbeararms.com/downloads/gundocform.pdf)
detailing his education/certifications in safe firearms handling and storage practices, and specifying his means of satisfying liability claims should he not be qualified to counsel patients in this matter and his advice yields harmful outcomes? And will Oschner cover this, and require all of your physicians to establish their credentials in this area?

Let's see if I get a reply...