Dr.
Ben Carson had a distinguished 30 year career as a renowned brain surgeon
before he decided to run for president of the United States. Somewhat
astonishingly, he is not the sole medical doctor in the field of nominees -
Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, is also in the running. Historically, most
politicians in the U.S. have foundations in the military, law, or business; yet
five doctors actually signed the Declaration of Independence.
Like many
U.S. physicians, Dr. Carson confronted medical malpractice lawsuits several
times during his 30 year career. He was sued for medical malpractice at least
eight times during his years as a neurosurgeon.
Eight
medical malpractice lawsuits may seem to be significant number, yet it is not
alarming after considering the high risk nature of Dr. Carson's specialty.
Neurosurgeons are more prone to be sued when compared to other specialties. Overall,
7.4% of all doctors face a medical malpractice claim each year, whereas 19.1%
of all neurosurgeons face a medical malpractice claim each year according to a
2011 study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine.
The
researchers suggested that the neurosurgery numbers were higher because
frequently the most complex, high-risk cases end up in court. Many times a
lawsuit is filed simply because a plaintiff suffered an injury, not always
because the surgeon's performance fell below the standard of care. The study
also noted that the vast majority of neurosurgery claims were ultimately
decided in favor of the neurosurgeons.
Therefore,
the eight medical malpractice claims faced by Dr. Carson were statistically relatively
low. Whether Dr. Carson ultimately becomes the republican presidential nominee
is yet to be determined.
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