I started my career as a physician and experienced, first-hand, the confusing and condescending nature of medical-legal education. I recognized the enormous need for educational material that provided practical solutions to the medical-legal dilemmas clinicians face. And, I founded Law & Medicine to address that need.
My educational approach is based on five principles.
1. The Rule of Law. I focus on the rule of law, explaining it in terms clinicians can apply.
2. The Principles of Science. I believe risk management ideas and theories should be subjected to scientific scrutiny and those which do not survive must be rejected.
3. The Best Interest of the Patient. I believe physicians can best protect themselves by making solid clinical decisions that are in the best interest of the patient.
4. The Inherent Goodness of the Medical Profession. I believe physicians are highly trained and gifted individuals who have a long history of making decisions that are both clinically and ethically sound.
5. Truthfulness. I believe physicians should be told the truth and that they can be trusted to apply it in an appropriate manner.
If you are a physician, I believe you will find my approach to be refreshing.
Victor R. Cotton MD, JD