Some Articles I Didn't Finish in 2024
A year in incomplete writing
The Frontier Psychiatrists is quixotic. I try—valiantly— to generate a new article (or video or podcast) daily. Today, we review the articles that weren’t. The articles you didn't read, in case I couldn’t get them done for one reason or another. It’s a “behind the scenes” year in review of my…the lowlights of my myriad failures to bring you content that, absent this article, you'd remain blissfully unaware of. Fear not! My failure laid out transparently, is what today’s article is about.
Medical Boards Won't Save Us
Here is a video setting up some incredible prose that never became a Real Article.
I want to think that having licensed professionals means that there is oversight of those individuals. I want to believe that when I see a doctor, I will be safe. You probably want the same thing. The process of medical licensure is extremely elaborate. It involves fingerprinting. It involves criminal background checks. It involves sending in certified copies of examination reports; it is a massive pain in the butt, frankly. There is a lot of credentialing by individual employers who also review all this material. It seems like an extensive process; if something went wrong with the behavior of a professional with one of those fancy licenses, such as medicine, psychology, or another profession, the public would be the first to know. We imagine that the investigations will be in-depth.
Whistleblowers would be treated—in our minds— with the utmost respect, and their concerns would be taken very seriously. This is what happens much of the time. This is a deeply personal matter to me because I've had to go through the process—a process I respected—of investigation by the medical board in my state.
Doesn’t it sound like it would have been an excellent article? It gets more spicy from there, but sadly, it isn’t done… and thus won’t happen in the waning hours of 2024.
Owen Muir, M.D. Presents: The 700th Installment of this Newsletter
This article, for those keeping score at home, is number 810. I had an article lined up for my 700th post but blew past it, so obviously, it's not worth finishing. Here are a few gems from that discarded exercise…
This newsletter started with an op-ed I couldn't get anyone to pick up! I learned today that it feeds Google News alerts! I even have a muck-rack. I became…a journalist, not just a hype-man. Although, at the time, writing about the impact of Supreme Court decisions on ERISA seemed pretty niche, litigation has picked up quite a bit in the subsequent two years.
This newsletter has picked up a lot since the beginning. It has racked up over 1.5 million views from more than 600,000 persons who read this publication. As of today, I have 200 paid subscribers.
Quite the victory lap. I know. I also thank my contributors, which I will do here as well:
I edit and write this newsletter to entertain my readers, and I enjoy it. It has, however, taken on a life of its own. Initially, it was an attempt to take control of a narrative I didn't feel communicated what I thought was important. I wanted to focus on justice for patients, equitable access to care, and better outcomes in human health. I think we’ve done that. Like any real accomplishment, The Frontier Psychiatrists has grown beyond just one person. It has become a place where other writers can express their opinions about what should be better. I've been honored to share this corner of the Internet with friends, colleagues, and even those with dissenting views. Writers like:
and many more.
I feel mild to moderately bad that I didn’t get to thank them in that article, so I have shoe horned it in here.
My Pants Are Not On Fire
I have zero idea what this article was going to be about. I have just that amazing title, and the following text: