When it comes to plastic surgery, the choices available to patients are pretty universal which means most members of the public can undergo rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, or a facelift (to name a few). If someone is not able to have a certain procedure, it is more than likely the result of the person needing to be in better health or they might not meet all of the requirements for a procedure (such as not having enough excess fat on the body to be removed via liposuction for a Brazilian butt lift AKA a BBL). One reason that is not used to disqualify a patient is racism even though one plastic surgeon in Florida is promoting that idea.
Dr. Richard Bosshardt of Florida is trying to warn the public that there is a danger present in the field of plastic surgery. He feels that one of the largest surgical organizations is no longer concerned with promoting surgical excellence. Bosshardt is also discussing the danger of the prioritization of equity in the field of medicine over the skills of medical professionals.
In an interview with Fox News, Bosshardt claims that he was “banned for life from access to the members of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and their online discussion forums.” According to the doctor, his ban was the result of voicing concerns about a push by the ACS for critical race theory as well as measures against racism in the field of medicine.
During his interview with the news channel, Bosshardt said, “The mission of the ACS, which was written into their initial mission statement ‘to serve all with skill and trust,’ has since been changed. They were supposed to be promoting excellence in surgery and supporting surgeons and their patients. Unfortunately, this is no longer true.”
He went on to add, “My ban occurred because two years ago, I noticed that there was a direction of the ACS to try to jump onto this systemic racism bandwagon – that seems to be very popular these days. The ACS leadership went to war against itself. It declared the ACS, the American College of Surgeons, to be structurally racist. It also went on to say that surgeons are racists and even the practice of surgery is racist. What this did is it produced a type of messaging that now states that, as you clearly put, it’s best if patients are treated by surgeons of their own race.”
The doctor went on to ask the Fox News host what the host looks for when it comes to finding a surgeon for himself and his loved ones. The response of the host was, “Skill.”
Bosshardt replied, “Skill? Absolutely. What about trust? I would say that after skill, probably the single most important thing that goes into providing good medicine is trust. A patient has to trust that the surgeon is not only competent and skilled, but also has their best interests at heart and will do the best for them. A surgeon, on the other hand, has to also trust the patient that they will understand that the surgeon is doing his or her best.”
In an op-ed (opinion editorial) piece in the Wall Street Journal, Bosshardt stated the ACS was “deliberately promoting ideas that sow distrust among doctors and patients, insult the integrity of professional surgeons and reduce the quality of the care we provide.”
The doctor even wrote that his ban from the organization was “silencing dissent” by banning him from online forums as well as blocking him from being able to access a directory of his peers.
Bosshardt wrote, “These are the actions of ideologues intent on radicalizing the surgical field instead of improving care. Surgeons can’t let that happen. The only way to reverse it is for surgeons to speak out against the corruption of our profession. The ACS must choose between surgery and ideology.”
One of the first things to remember about plastic surgeons, as well as all doctors in general, is that doctors take an oath to treat all patients equally. Doctors of all specialties and skills in the medical world follow principles that were established long ago when it comes to medical ethics. Doctors treat everyone fairly and believe that all patients have equal value. No matter the age, religion, race, or financial background of the patient, the medical community is dedicated to giving everyone equal respect while also recognizing that all patients have equal worth.
The action of not judging anyone based on the color of their skin helps patients navigate the healthcare system as well as allows them to be treated with the necessary dignity and respect they deserve. Plastic surgeons and their medical staff have an obligation to treat those who are looking for answers and provide medical help when it comes to having a procedure. This applies to all patients which means doctors in the field of plastic surgery are not able to allow any type of racial bias to be part of their interactions with patients.
- MA
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