The Free For All
This morning I checked the mailbox before I took my son to his summer program. There was a letter from my medical school, asking for scholarship donations. I had been awarded a three-thousand dollar scholarship (gift) for being someone who had a lot of challenges to overcome but been vastly humanitarian as a medical student. My medical school classmates nominated and selected me for this scholarship.
I always paid a little back, over the years since I graduated in 1996. To this fund.
Today's letter said, and it was addressed to me and my ex-husband, who have been divorced since 2003--'your last donation was in 2012. Please catch up with your donations.'
I threw it away.
Although I last was a member of the AMA as a medical student, twice a year I get letters to join it again. They are very aggressive in their campaigns. Since I have my own societies to join, for my specialty, I never sign up.
I think when I retire they will STILL keep sending me these letters! LOL. I just threw out a 'membership for half price' envelope from them today. (According to another physician, only thirty percent of all physicians ever join the AMA, because it doesn't represent their interests; the 'party line' is not 'resonant' with them. He's never joined it!)
Today I got a phone call from an 877 number. It was the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
My membership lapsed in 2013, according to their records. And if I didn't pay--TODAY--because I can't do it on the computer any more. They want to make 'more room' for the newer members on their data base. But actually my last chance to re-apply is in October...
Was it Phishing? I don't know. I'd like to think it wasn't.
I asked Ross. He said to sign up. Just this once, and no more after that.
It was six-hundred-fifty dollars! And it wasn't pro-rated like the AMA, where you only pay for half a year membership.
For some reason I need to be affiliated with both the California Society and the American Society.
What do I get out of it? The lady said, 'Advocacy'. I thought that's what my donations to a PAC (Political Activist Committee, a subset of the Society) did?
Now I will get a journal for six months, and a discounted rate on their continuing medical education courses online. Instead of eight hundred dollars, I can spend three hundred dollars to get online education towards my MOCA recertification. (will explain this in a little bit). If I choose to attend the annual meeting in San Diego, it is free.
MOCA is a 'maintenance of certification' program for my specialty. Certificates of 'Board Certification' expire. They must be renewed every ten years for all graduates from after the year 2000. It cost me fifteen hundred dollars to apply for the first MOCA cycle. I took a test at a test center that cost about six hundred dollars in the middle of it. I had my bosses fill out evaluations for me twice. And I had to take over four hundred or something hours of continuing education. The only thing this did for me, to benefit, was I had a central website to log all my hours of education. This way when I was up for reappointment at my places of work (every two years you fill out all the paperwork) I could print the page... Look at what these Indigos are doing! On FB there is a group, "The American Board of Anesthesiology should change and simplify MOCA" You might wish to check them out!
Apparently Internal Medicine wanted to create a similar thing called MOC--plus take away the grandfathered in-never-able-to-expire certificates.
To this, the physicians rebelled. It didn't PROVE care was any better. It was expensive. And it was complicated. The Board of Internal Medicine later apologized to its members, and said it was wrong on both accounts!
What do I make of all this?
I suspect a lot of money is 'disappearing' from big funds like this. Anytime there is a big pot of money, you can be certain that not far away, are certain factions of Those Who Do Not Have Our Best Interest At Heart.
I also know our Anesthesia 'headquarters' moved into a fancy new facility on the eastern seaboard instead of the old one in Illinois. I suspect someone needs to help pay for it. As well as for the 'advocacy' which I suppose is important to our careers--but I haven't seen a lot of gains. Nurse Anesthetists want to be able to practice without MD supervision, clear and simple, and they say they are just as safe (without going to medical school!) and cheaper. I don't see how any insurance company will take the time to evaluate anything that isn't 'cheaper' in the long run, if you ask me. I could be wrong...it doesn't matter. I'm in my society now and I support it either case.
Can I prove it--that 'something is rotten in Denmark'--so to speak?
Not on your life.
But can it be disproven?
That would be very difficult to do.
Are they starving for money? I think so, yes. All of them. The good, the bad, and the ugly...LOL.
Your money belongs to you. And to your business, if you should own one. Just because there are certain 'costs of doing business' doesn't mean you have to go along with the request all of the time.
The six hundred fifty dollars is a business expense for me. And also, worth every penny in my ability to write up this kind of situation that is rampant in all fields of expertise, I am certain, for you.
What are we going to do about it? I don't know. I stopped giving to one huge nest of something that was a cover for the Dark Ones in July 2012.
I haven't regretted it since.
Time to Play
Fun is important! I enjoy the water. Yesterday I went swimming. Now it is time to go! Let's give Ross some time to speak, and I'll be off!
Ross
Hello! (clears his throat)
Carla was called into her Council today. All of us asked her, 'Carla? Are you ready?'
To this, Carla replied, with a smile--I may add!--'YES!'.
The Council asked again, 'Are you sure you're sure?'
Carla, grinning from ear to ear, said a great big, 'YES!!!'
It was a very jovial session.
That is all I have to say.
Carla, talk about the bracelet.
Carla: Yesterday Ross gave me a bracelet like a gold wristwatch. The 'face' was small and round. It lights up to alert me when Ross is flying directly overhead in his craft. He said he is directly over me at least once a day. So even though we communicate together, just like now, as we are Twins and Reiki and not limited by distance or time, this is to let me know when he is approaching on his way. Today it beeped once while I was driving to work, and I got VERY excited and filled with joy! It lights and beeps, and I wear it with my Light Body, not my physical arm. My third eye can detect it--and my 'third ears'--clairaudience--and clairsentience--too. Can you imagine how it's going to go off when he lands? I can't wait!
Ross: That is enough Carla, thank you. Now go and enjoy a nice swim with Anthony. Thank you for all that you do for our people.
Aloha and Mahalos,
Namaste,
Peace,
Ross and Carla
The Reiki Doc Twins
