NEW YORK, NY – Paul Thero, ND. has a good friend in the hospital at Columbia University Medical Center and has visited him everyday this week. While at the hospital, Thero likes to wear a stethoscope and sometimes a white lab coat to get the sensation of what it must be like to have a respected profession.
“I have to admit it’s pretty cool” said Thero. “People keep calling me doctor, like a for real doctor, and I just go along with it.”
Technically, carrying a stethoscope in the hospital is not illegal, unless you willfully deceive a patient.
“We keep a pretty close eye on “Dr. Paul” when he’s here visiting” said Chief of Surgery Dr. Ellen Black. “We let him live out his little fantasy and it’s mostly harmless. If he takes it up a notch ans starts talking to patients, we will have to step in.”
Dr. Paul is a practicing Naturopath in lower Manhattan with over 12 clients.
“It’s not like I don’t do a lot of the same stuff that goes on here,” said Thero. “I do all the stuff as the doctors here do, except for things like vaccinate, prescribe medicine, surgery, study, research, have my advice to patients “backed up by evidence”, and a cafeteria. I don’t have one of those at my clinic. I guess that is the main difference that I can see: no cafeteria.”
Doctors are hoping Mr. Thero’s friend recovers quickly so they can get him out of their hair before he talks a patient into not vaccinating or tries to sell them some magic beans.
