Doctor Janaan

"Ds get degrees." The head of my undergraduate psychology department once told that to a student who was struggling in class. We all laughed and he added that nobody ever asks for your GPA at an interview. He had a point. The people who made Cs and Ds get to say the same thing that I do- they graduated. Their diploma looks the same with the same college name and insignia.

This point was brought to mind the other day as I listened to some of the interns talking about school and overheard them mention having had to retake classes and getting just passing grades. They were laughing and smiling that they had made the requirements to graduate. Thankfully, they are both in pretty rigorous programs in which a C is considered failing, but it made me wonder about what my professor once said.

I have to admit that I have never once asked my doctor what his GPA was. I picked him because he is close by and in network. He also passed my thorough (wink, wink) internet check of reading the last 10 posts that rated him as either average or above and the fact that I had never seen him on the news as having killed someone. I will admit that more than once he has said something that me wonder if he was Cum Laude or Come Late, but overall I like most have just taken for granted that his having graduated means that he is qualified. Have you ever wondered about your doctor, or dentist or nurse.
I have had a lot of blood drawn for a lot of reasons and I am sure that some of those nurses have failed the phlebotomy class a time or two because they can't hit a vein to save a life- pun intended.

I graduated my graduate program with a perfect 4.0 GPA and when it is all said and done the girl with the barely passing mark will have exactly the same license that I do. This is not to say that grades reflect ability, but it certainly effects client/patient confidence. Just imagine how you would feel if you got your lab results back and your doctor said, "I am not sure about this last section here because I barely got out of Organic Chem, but don't worry Dr. Johnson down the hall got an A and she says you'll be fine." Wouldn't you request Dr. Johnson next time or possibly mid visit?

I had this same thought when one of them told me that she had to retake the theories class again after getting a poor grade. If you are in a crisis do you want a therapist who could not pass theory. How can you apply a concept that you don't actually understand. She says that when she started working as an intern the comment was made that she was good at theory. Well, you should be. You took it twice. That is like being 8 on the 1st Grade Honor Roll.

I'm just saying. It's true. Ds get degrees, but As inspire confidence. Maybe I should start asking better questions at the doctors office.