State Board off Medicine rules outspoken Doctor can say offensive things

**Terminator** · 08-03-06, 04:54 PM

CONCORD, N.H. — The state Board of Medicine voted to dismiss its disciplinary case against a doctor accused of telling a patient she was so obese she might only be attractive to black men and advising another to shoot herself following brain surgery.

The board's decision Wednesday essentially lets stand a judge's decision that Dr. Terry Bennett was within his rights to say things that might be offensive.

"That's wonderful," said Bennett's lawyer, Benjamin King. "I look forward to receiving the order."

The complaints included charges that Bennett humiliated a white woman by telling her she was so obese she might only be attractive to black men. A 2001 complaint accused Bennett of telling a woman recovering from brain surgery to buy a pistol and shoot herself to end her suffering.

In June, Merrimack County Superior Court Judge Edward Fitzgerald ruled that doctors have a right to free speech even when their comments insult or offend patients.

The decision may not mean the end of the controversy. Bennett has said he hopes to sue everyone involved.

**CountyFourteen** · 08-03-06, 05:26 PM

sounds like a no nonsense doc to me

**Retdetsgt** · 08-03-06, 05:32 PM

Good! That's what I like about my doctor, he doesn't pull any punches. And will probably keep me alive a lot longer than one who's afraid I'll play victim.

**lesta311** · 08-03-06, 05:38 PM

I used to have a dentist that would talk to people like that. He was really cool.

**Ducky** · 08-03-06, 05:43 PM

Hell, last time I saw my doc, he used the otoscope in one of my ears and waved his hand around on the other side of my head. He told me he was checking if he could see all the way through.

1*girl · 08-03-06, 05:57 PM

Yeah but "you're so fat you might only be attractive to black men"? He may have said obese, but that is the same thing as throwing that poor woman a fat joke to her face. Bad beside manner! Working on the nursing side of the health field, that is a prime example of why I hate doctors.

**Ducky** · 08-03-06, 06:03 PM

Then again, he may have told he that she needed to work on her weight while she was insisting that she wasn't overweight. Admittedly the way he did it wasn't the kindest of responses, but at least it got through to her. Rudeness isn't a crime, it's just rude. Besides, if someone doesn't like their doc, the option is always open for them to switch.

**conalabu** · 08-03-06, 08:09 PM

Heck, I am rude just about everytime I open my mouth. I could be Bill Gates and not have enough money to pay off the suits.

**Growler** · 08-04-06, 10:54 AM

Granted the woman probably really is fat and her and her doctor have probaly had a bit of feud in terms of how her health is. His choice of words may not have been the best but how do you tell someone nicely to stop doing crunches with your mouth and start with crunching your stomach??

**Crimebytes2** · 08-04-06, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by lesta311

I used to have a dentist that would talk to people like that. He was really cool.

Your post made me think of this -

A dentist was getting ready to clean an elderly lady's teeth. He noticed that she was a little nervous, so he began to tell her a story as he was putting on his surgical gloves. "Do you know how they make these rubber gloves?" She said, "No?" "Well", he spoofed, "down in Mexico they have this big building set up with a large tank of latex, and the workers are all picked according to hand size. Each individual walks up to the tank, dips their hands in, and then walks around for a bit while the latex sets up and dries right onto their hands! Then they peel off the gloves and throw them into the big 'Finished Goods Crate' and start the process all over again." And she didn't laugh a bit!!! Five minutes later, during the procedure, he had to stop cleaning her teeth because she burst out laughing. The old woman blushed and exclaimed, "I just suddenly thought about how they must make condoms!"

**BigDawg** · 08-04-06, 11:49 AM

She was really fat and needed to be told that. Ive seen her picture....and so hasn't everybody else. She is sitting on the tailgate of a truck with her sister in a bikini.

**snuffy2202** · 08-04-06, 12:10 PM

Now, that's funny!

**Piggybank Cop** · 08-04-06, 12:16 PM

Now at least one civilian has a small idea what cops go through every day.

**bayern** · 08-04-06, 12:21 PM

Reminds me of an old 1SGT years ago.

At morning formation he made the announcement: Jones, your mothers dead, go home for 3 days.

The CO got a hold of the 1SGT and told him to be more sentative towards those who lost their loved ones.

A while later, at formation he said :Smith, go home for 3 days, ya got no mother."

He was again told by the CO to be more pasionate towards those who lost loved ones.

Again, a while later, he made the announcement: "All those with mothers, one step forward, Doe, stand fast."

It in all how its said.

**Piggybank Cop** · 08-04-06, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by bayern

Reminds me of an old 1SGT years ago.

At morning formation he made the announcement: Jones, your mothers dead, go home for 3 days.

The CO got a hold of the 1SGT and told him to be more sentative towards those who lost their loved ones.

A while later, at formation he said :Smith, go home for 3 days, ya got no mother."

He was again told by the CO to be more pasionate towards those who lost loved ones.

Again, a while later, he made the announcement: "All those with mothers, one step forward, Doe, stand fast."

It in all how its said.

Yeah, so what’d I do wrong?

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