Dr. Miller reminded the audience that professional self-regulation—otolaryngologists establishing their own standards for knowledge and performance, and ensuring they are met —isn’t a “right.” He said, “It’s something that society gives us, and [it] can be taken away,” just as self-regulation of the legal profession in Great Britain, Australia, and Wales has been replaced by government oversight.
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March 2018He added that self-regulation can be improperly manipulated, and cautioned against “excessive focus on finances, lifestyle, and self-interest.”
“We have an opportunity to maintain physician self-regulation,” he said. “I think it’s really important that we all work together to make self-regulation meaningful and work effectively. If we don’t, the alternatives will be worse.”