So, continuing in the effort to try and solve my back problems, my regular doctor referred me to a specialist whose office is in Provo, Utah. I didn't really think much of it until I walked into the office and was handed a stack of paperwork to fill out that was about three times the normal amount you would normally receive as a new patient at a doc's office.

Among the over 100 questions I had to answer was, "What is your religious affiliation and what impact does it have on your life?"

Uhhh...what the hell does my religious affiliation have to do with my SPINE? What I wanted to put was, "NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS" but instead, I left it blank.

After almost an hour, they took me back into the exam room. The walls of the office and the hallways are PLASTERED with Morg renditions of the resurrected Jesus. I mean, I understand I was in PROVO for chrissakes, but the whole experience was HORRIBLY creepy.

"Scotty, beam me up NOW!"

Wow! You are correct. There is no connection with your spine and your religious preference. Did he expect you to furnish an essay on the importance of religion in your life? :-)

Not religion related, but I had a gynecologist who demanded a very expensive copy (which I would have had to pay for) of my neck and upper back x-rays. When I told him that he would not be receiving a copy of these particular x-rays because they were not gynocologically related, he blew up and stormed out of the office. When he returned, he was pissed and just about yelled at me. After that visit, I never returned to his office. "Up yours!" would have been an appropriate comment there.

in the first place, unless there is no other choice.

He is German and is jewish! I really liked his manner in the delivery room. LOVE HIM!

I think male or female doesn't matter. They both go to the same schools and deliver the same amount of babies.

Would you not go to a pediatrist who never had bunions or hammertoes?

Would you not go to a orthopedist who never had a knee replacement?

etc... etc... etc...

with a female, not a male.
And I wasn't talking about obstetrics. that's not what I use my stuff for ;)
As a matter of fact, I would not take my car to a mechanic who did not have a car and had never driven one.
You're kind of making my point.

If it was some kind of specialized surgery that the male doc was really good at, I'd have no problem with using him. But for my regular GYN, I want someone I can talk frankly with about anything. I think males gyn's are a bit creepy just for choosing that specialty.

I went to the gynecologist in Provo and had the same question. I was pretty sketched out.

You'd never see a picture of Jesus in a GP's office. Some of these specialists think they can get away with anything. I saw an ENT once that had vitamin displays in every room, and he wrote me up a slip of paper that looked like a prescription for his vitamins. I referred to it to him as his "side business" and he just about threw a tantrum. I never went back. He was a plastic surgeon too. Scary. Your ortho's side business apparently is religion. If he blurs the line between his church and his practice, I wonder what else he's capable of.

"specialist" has nothing to do with it, it depends on the person

He had a 'revelation' to run for governor and actually threw some money down the memory hole on a campaign that went nowhere. He did likewise on some oil speculation in Israel that was allegedly founded in some obscure Biblical prophecy.

Were my kids orthodontia not already paid for I might try to convince him that its God's will that my kids get it for free. We did have some interesting conversations while he had his fingers in my kids' mouths though. He once went back and showed me a chunk of blue ice that he said fell through the roof of his building. He thought it was related to chem trails. I thought it came from some aircraft's restroom and made sure he washed his hands before returning to orthodontia work.

Sounds like the guy is wearing his religion to cover up the fact he's doing some naughty stuff on the side. Just my opinion. People who shove Jesus or Joseph down other's throats are usually shoving other things with it.
Don't ever allow these people to administer drugs to you or be alone with your children. Actually, I just wouldn't give them my business, period. If I want Jesus, I'll go to a church.

who was this? I got to dr's all the time here and while I see ensigns and shit I've never seen that!! That sucks!! I have had them ask religious affiliation--but not that extreme of a question.

I don't want to go to him, that's for sure. That would creep me out, Jesus and such pictures. Not Jesus himself, but at my dr's office.

Did you get anything figured out? Will you go back to him? How frustrating!!

The pictures hanging and the intrusive/unrelated questions display the complete lack of professionalism. Could the doctor, for just one second, realize that some of the patients do not share their beliefs.

The thing that kinda scares me is because I'm a gay heathen, and next Friday they have to shove a giant needle in my spine while I'm under anesthesia, they might decide I'm not fit to live. LOL

in case you became very ill while you were in his office and he had to call in someone to give you a blessing. If you had stated "Catholic" he would have had a priest on call; if LDS, then the local priestholder; I imagine he also had Buddists, Baptists, Rabbis, Shamans, and Wiccans available.

They are not going to call a priest in the doctor's office.
It sounds like the question asked here was far more involved than just stating a religious preference.

Pastafarian would be even better.

he is a good mo and has been bish or higher but he really is the best, IMHO, for knee replacement. Anyway, not one question on religion. Just lifestyle and stuff to get an idea how active one is.

I think it would only be a valid question if you were one of the kneeler religions, like Catholic. :)

So a proctologist should get information from the non-kneelers?

I can't take credit. It is one of my lapsed Catholic husband's jokes, talking about "those Damned Catholic Kneelers!"

Interesting Coincidence...Went to my ortho the other day and saw a stack of Watchtower's and Awakes on the magazine table. As is my custom, I take them and dispose of them, after ripping them in half...Anyone here ever do that or remove similar Morg related info anywhere?

I don't think I'd go to him. That is just creepy--even if I were still TBM, I'd think it is just creepy.

how was the doctor otherwise? Do you think he was a competent doctor? What did he say about your back problems??

Man I am so glad I drove the hell out of Utard when I was done with my education at YBU!

he's awesome. i've actually had the worst experiences with female gynos, they always try to tell me that i cannot possibly be having the problem i'm having because they've never had it. WTF?!

my ob/gyn is the greatest, he was gonna be a dermatologist and then one day delivered a baby in a parking garage and was hooked. he absolutely loves delivering babies and it shows, he just beams

with sexual functioning and pleasure issues, libido, etc?
When I talk about a gyn I am NOT talking about birthin' no babies! That's Obstetrics.
A bad doc is a bad doc, no matter their sex, but of the good ones I would always choose a female for a gyn. You just can't talk as freely with a male, and plenty of THEM will not believe you are experiencing what you are experiencing. There are male doctors who do not get that "cramps" can feel like a chainsaw ripping through your abdomens for 12 hours straight. They will tell you to change your diet and get more exercise. It just depends on the idiocy of that particular doc.