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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/30/dentist-job-stress-killing-cecil-the-lion
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| I'm a dentist, not a sadist. The man who killed Cecil the lion doesn't disprove that | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| It’s good to be a dentist, or so it would seem: US News ranks it the best job to have in America. It’s also horrible to be a dentist, if you look at Business Insider’s ranking of the top 10 professions with the highest suicide rates. We’re in second place. | |
| Related: US dentist accused of killing Cecil the lion 'upset' as hunter becomes hunted | Related: US dentist accused of killing Cecil the lion 'upset' as hunter becomes hunted |
| Perhaps I have missed some other statistic that ranks us dentists high on the list of people who regard it a hobby to kill regal creatures of the wild. If not, it’s unclear why Walter Palmer, arguably the most-hated man in America at the moment, is constantly being identified as a dentist. I found it odd to keep reading headlines about “the dentist who killed Cecil the Lion”. I mean, nobody talks about “the painter who started World War II”. Granted, you might know that Hitler made a living selling paintings at one time. But how about “the chocolate factory worker who murdered 17 men”. You didn’t even know Jeffrey Dahmer had a job, did you? | Perhaps I have missed some other statistic that ranks us dentists high on the list of people who regard it a hobby to kill regal creatures of the wild. If not, it’s unclear why Walter Palmer, arguably the most-hated man in America at the moment, is constantly being identified as a dentist. I found it odd to keep reading headlines about “the dentist who killed Cecil the Lion”. I mean, nobody talks about “the painter who started World War II”. Granted, you might know that Hitler made a living selling paintings at one time. But how about “the chocolate factory worker who murdered 17 men”. You didn’t even know Jeffrey Dahmer had a job, did you? |
| Why is it that we dentists are seen as sadistic, cruel and arrogant? Is Sir Laurence Olivier to blame? His haunting portrayal of a torturing dentist in the 1976 movie classic Marathon Man had nothing to do with my job choice, I assure you. | Why is it that we dentists are seen as sadistic, cruel and arrogant? Is Sir Laurence Olivier to blame? His haunting portrayal of a torturing dentist in the 1976 movie classic Marathon Man had nothing to do with my job choice, I assure you. |
| Let’s be honest: no one looks forward to seeing the dentist, yet you pay them a lot of your hard-earned money. I have seen more than one patient in tears over a treatment bill. In other words, you could say that we profit from the suffering of others. Realtors and bankers love us, and less fortunate cousins frequently treat us as if we were the bank. | Let’s be honest: no one looks forward to seeing the dentist, yet you pay them a lot of your hard-earned money. I have seen more than one patient in tears over a treatment bill. In other words, you could say that we profit from the suffering of others. Realtors and bankers love us, and less fortunate cousins frequently treat us as if we were the bank. |
| Yet many of us hate our job. After a long and arduous journey through one of the most competitive areas of medical education, we find ourselves in a profession that I, for one, often struggle to find rewarding. Since everyone out there has received the memo on dentistry being a lucrative business, it costs a fortune to own, build and run a dental practice. As an associate, you find yourself under constant performance pressure from the practice owners and scrutiny from insurance companies. Maybe this explains why many of us are, well, a little high-strung. I know dentists who base-jump from mountain bridges. Others go swim in ice water or enjoy free climbing. Personally, I am fine with a trip to the shoe store and a glass of champagne. | Yet many of us hate our job. After a long and arduous journey through one of the most competitive areas of medical education, we find ourselves in a profession that I, for one, often struggle to find rewarding. Since everyone out there has received the memo on dentistry being a lucrative business, it costs a fortune to own, build and run a dental practice. As an associate, you find yourself under constant performance pressure from the practice owners and scrutiny from insurance companies. Maybe this explains why many of us are, well, a little high-strung. I know dentists who base-jump from mountain bridges. Others go swim in ice water or enjoy free climbing. Personally, I am fine with a trip to the shoe store and a glass of champagne. |
| But back to Dr Palmer. As much as I understand the extravagant, cathartic vacation choices dentists often make, his actions baffle me in many ways. For one, I am appalled by the idea that killing such a beautiful creature could be considered fun by anyone. More specifically, I find it sad that people like Palmer go to a foreign land and spend horrendous amounts to satisfy their longings. | But back to Dr Palmer. As much as I understand the extravagant, cathartic vacation choices dentists often make, his actions baffle me in many ways. For one, I am appalled by the idea that killing such a beautiful creature could be considered fun by anyone. More specifically, I find it sad that people like Palmer go to a foreign land and spend horrendous amounts to satisfy their longings. |
| To me, the case of Cecil the Lion says a lot more about Western society than it says about dentists. Going to Africa and spending $50,000 to slaughter one of their most precious wildlife specimen reveals a horrible attitude of colonial supremacy. No matter what title or bank balance you have – no matter what car you drive or how much you donate to the Rotary Club – if you lack respect for your fellow creatures, you shouldn’t expect it from other humans, including those in your own profession. | To me, the case of Cecil the Lion says a lot more about Western society than it says about dentists. Going to Africa and spending $50,000 to slaughter one of their most precious wildlife specimen reveals a horrible attitude of colonial supremacy. No matter what title or bank balance you have – no matter what car you drive or how much you donate to the Rotary Club – if you lack respect for your fellow creatures, you shouldn’t expect it from other humans, including those in your own profession. |
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