Billmon:
Carson is product of the Christian right counterculture, doubt many in MSM had heard of him before he got traction as POTUS candidate.
A product that has been in the making for over twenty years. The “brilliant neurosurgeon” with the hands gifted to him by God. What a load of rot.
Dr. Carson isn’t the only African-American surgeon (and far from the first). Not the only African-American neurosurgeon (the first was Clarence Sumner Greene, Sr., board certified in 1953.) He’s not even the only or first African-American pediatric neurosurgeon. Dr. Alexa Canady, the first AA female pediatric neurosurgeon got there before Carson.
Carson may just be bolder than other pediatric neurosurgeons. [NYTimes 1993] One of his claims to fame is that the separated conjoined twins. (Not to be overlooked is that such patients are extremely rare. )
He managed to separate the two brains in about 20 minutes and to close the skull of the twin he was working on — with his mentor, neurosurgery chief Dr. Donlin Long, closing the other twin’s skull — in about another 40.
After the operation, the successfully separated twins went home to Ulm. But then, as far as the Hopkins staff was concerned, they disappeared. Despite repeated efforts, Dr. Carson has been unable to find out how Patrick and Benjamin, now 6 years old, are faring.
“I’ve written so many letters, and I’ve never gotten any response,” he said.
(In Ravensburg, Germany, a local physician said the boys were too disabled to live at home and were staying at a facility for handicapped children in the area.)
(Nothing further about the Binder twins seems to have been reported since that 1993 article.)
Would be unfair not also to note that it’s unknown how these twins would have fared without the surgery. (Laden and Laleh Bijani at the age of twenty-nine preferred the risk of death to remaining conjoined.)
While the accolades, “he saves babies,” continues for Dr. Carson, Dr. Canady lets us in on a little fact about pediatric neurosurgery:
The most rewarding part is that most of the time you can make them better.
Dr. Canady’s reflection on her career:
After 30 years as a surgeon, I retired this past January. Looking back, what stands out in my memory are the special relationships I had with my young patients. The hours we spent cross-legged on the floor playing video games, and the sound of their laughter floating through the hospital hallways. The children taught me so much — about living in the moment with tremendous courage and grace despite serious and often terminal illnesses. I took care of some children for 15 to 20 years. I watched them grow up. I got up in the middle of the night to care for them. I cared for every single one of them as if they were my own.
The Guardian, Ben Carson’s house: a homage to himself – in pictures . (I have no words for the painting of Dr. Carson with Jesus.)
Dr. Canady believes that “Surgery is a service business. You provide a service as unobtrusively as possible. But you must be human. In order to provide good quality care, it is so important that patients are able to talk to you and not regard you as some deity above them.”
There’s one other University of Michigan Medical School AA graduate that is an eminent neurosurgeon, Dr. Keith L. Black. and deserves mention here.
I get the strong impression from Dr. Canady and Dr. Black that they wouldn’t hit the faith-based lecture circuit and deny evolution to fleece the ignorant.
Update #1
[What follows isn’t new information, but seems too important to dump into a comment.} In Janary 2015 Buzzfeed reported on the plagiarism in Dr. Carsons’s latest autobiography. Ben Carson’s History Book Plagiarizes SocialismSucks.Net And Many Other Sources. Several of those he stole from didn’t mind and as for the others, team Carson said “oops” and apparently got a pass. However, the more interesting part of the Buzzfeed article was a section from Carson’s book:
Not long after that, when I was a psychology major delving into the mysteries of the human mind, I stepped unknowingly into yet another moral dilemma. During my research for one of the papers in an advanced psychology course, I found some passages that seemed particularly appropriate, and I included them in my writing. I did not, however, indicate that this was the work of someone else; frankly, I had never even heard of the term plagiarism. When the professor asked me to make an appointment to discuss my paper, I was befuddled . When I stepped into his office, however, I could immediately sense the weight of the moment. He pointed out that I had plagiarized and told me that the consequences for doing so normally included expulsion. I could see all of my dreams of becoming a doctor dashed by my stupidity. Even though I did not know the implications of plagiarism, I certainly should have known inherently that what I was doing was wrong. I had done it before without consequences and probably would have continued doing it if I had not been caught. Fortunately for me, the professor was very compassionate, realized that I was naïve, and gave me a chance to rewrite the paper. This raises another question: Is ignorance an acceptable excuse for unethical behavior?
Two points. How does someone graduate from high school at the top of his class and with honors what plagiarism is and the consequences of doing it? And if somehow the educational standards weren’t high enough in his junior and senior high schools to lay that down, how he escaped coming by the knowledge in his freshman English classes at Yale?
In keeping with his redemption stories, he also acknowledges having plagiarized a lot before getting caught doing it in an “advanced” course. I would also question that any Yale undergrad psych at that time focused on the “deep mysteries of the mind,” but that line of inquiry wasn’t absent during the age of “behaviorism;” so, it’s possible that he had one professor pushing on the conventional wisdom of the day. The most likely course that would have exposed his plagiarism is Experimental Psych because those courses require several papers in a term and library research is integral to the write-ups.
Finally, how does this admitted serial plagiarist get a pass when you-know-who doesn’t? Slate 2008
…
But Biden’s exit from the 1988 race is worth recalling in detail, … Biden’s misdeeds encompassed numerous self-aggrandizing thefts, misstatements, and exaggerations that seemed to point to a serious character defect. …But unlike Hart’s plight, Biden’s can’t be blamed on an overly intrusive or hectoring press corps. The press was right to dig into this one.
…
I don’t disagree with the Slate’s assessment. But would add that such a “character defect” also suggests that one is aware of not being in the same league as the competition or material. The GWB’s of the world can float through by earning “gentleman’s C’s,” but scholarship students generally can’t or don’t think they can. Is it any wonder that Carson seems especially ignorant and/or nutty outside the zone of neurosurgery?
May or may not reflect on his skill. However, I would expect better results on children than adults and the younger the better. The young brain is still growing and doesn’t stop changing internally until around age 20 to 24.
The niece of a mechanic I used to go to was shot in the head in a road rage incident. She was blind for two or three years but regained her sight. Her motor control was still pretty screwed up when I saw them at a Denny’s once. She didn’t speak. I don’t know if she could.
I’m happy to report that I read in the local paper that the shooter got a fifteen year sentence for armed assault. I’m less happy that he will be out and on the streets again in around five years, if he hasn’t already been released due to Illinois’ budget problems. Let’s think positively. If he continued his aggressive ways, maybe another inmate killed him with a sharpened spoon.
Didn’t intend that as any comment on Dr. Carson’s neurosurgery skills. No reason to think that they are anything other than excellent. And the prognosis for separating cerebral conjoined twins is very poor.
However, since when is follow-up not part of the practice for physicians and surgeons?
wrt the niece of your friend, as Dr. Canady points out, “most patients do well.” Doesn’t get more dire from gunshot wounds than that of Gabby Giffords. Her neurosurgeons were phenomenal.
Indeed they were!
He is on a pedastal because he was groomed to make this run in politics at some point. Maybe not at the Presidential level first trip out, but the religious right definitely saw him as a good minority candidate. He has the same Clarence Thomas projects-to-prominence narrative attached to his introduction. (That is in contrast to the middle-class origins of a lot of liberal black leaders even though that middle-class position was hardwon over several generations.)
And because he is on a pedastal, any criticism automatically is framed as liberal racism.
he is on a pedestal because he is a self-righteous fool who can be manipulated and used by the right wing. If he posed any real danger to them we would never have heard from him.
ASG
Mother Jones, Kevin Drum — Ben Carson’s Psychology Test Story Gets Even Weirder
Except, it wasn’t an instructor that perpetrated the hoax, and at this point, it’s too soon to conclude that such a hoax ever took place. Dr. Ben’s “proof:”
However, as parody, those Yalies were pikers compared to what Dr. Ben did with it.
Ben and Candy excerpt from Healing Hands.
Ignoring the content for a moment, it sure looks to me as if it was written for those with a fifth or sixth grade reading comprehension level. Might be a clue as to the audience for the book and why the wider public hadn’t heard of the guy until recently.
Not having attended an elite college/university, it still strikes me as odd that on an annual basis, Yale hosted a reception for incoming students from Michigan at the Grosse Pointe Country Club which is in Michigan. Perhaps back in 1971, a Yale Club of Michigan existed, and like the current Yale Club of Nevada hosted an informal reception for incoming freshmen [May 26 – Yale Club Ice Cream Social for new admits – Tivoli Village Gelato] It sounds a bit less grand than a chi-chi country club, Yale hosted reception. (Minor technical detail, “Grosse Pointe Country Club” appears not to exist, but that name may have been what it was referred to by locals. Yet, if so, the writers or editors should have noted that.)
(Church figured largely in the courtship of Ben and Candy — but not large enough to have been identified by name.)
It also seemed curious to me that Yale undergrads would be hired to interview MI students that had high SAT scores. Wouldn’t those students have had to apply to Yale for the college to know what their SAT scores were? 1972 was in the pre-internet age and it is surprising that within a couple of weeks of the admissions opening that Yale would have been ready to conduct some interviews. Again, maybe it worked differently at elite universities back then. Today, this is the interview procedures used by Yale. Handled by Yale alumni and not undergrads, but this story could still be true and Yale might be able to confirm it pr at least confirm that undergrads were hired to conduct interviews back then.
Can’t speak for Yale, but I can for MIT. It was alumni not undergrads that interviewed prospective applicants.
No, they wouldn’t have to apply, because back then when you took the test you could specify three(?) schools for ETS to send your scores to. However, I don’t recall specifying MIT, but a recruiter can around anyway. So the Ivy League probably had an insider.
It’s so long ago for me that I can’t recall much of anything about the SAT and how that tied into college applications. There was the PSAT taken as a junior and SAT taken as a senior. Somehow I had the impression that there was but a annual single exam, but this listing indicates that there were five. Perhaps my high school only offered it on one of those Dec or Jan dates because I was left with the choice of either taking it when I had the flu or not taking it at all.
That old schedule also suggests that students would have already applied or been well into the application process for their schools of choice before taking the SAT; so, your recollection of designating three schools to receive your scores sounds right. At least for those students that were able to apply early (of which I wasn’t one).
Wasn’t it six to eight weeks before people received the results?
Anyway the combination of the short time frame from the SAT exam scheduled date to when the undergrads, instead of alumni, Carson and Candy claim to have conducted interviews doesn’t smell right to me.
“Wasn’t it six to eight weeks before people received the results? “
Sounds right. It was snail mail.
“Anyway the combination of the short time frame from the SAT exam scheduled date to when the undergrads, instead of alumni, Carson and Candy claim to have conducted interviews doesn’t smell right to me.”
Nothing about Carson smells right to me. And regarding his credentials, this guy had credentials too (although wikipedia says he didn’t) including being on a Presidential genetics committee (Nixon’s). Probably got on by being a campaign donor.
Not inclined to question his Yale, Univ Michigan Medical School, and Johns Hopkins credentials. Those, even back then, would have been tough to fake. Did note somewhere that he hasn’t claimed to have graduated with honors from Yale or MI Med. He only became distinguished when he was a resident in pediatric neurosurgery. Nothing wrong with that as it’s no uncommon for someone not to shine until they find their niche. One he shouldn’t have strayed from.
This is off-topic, but I finally found a link I was trying to refer you to in another thread about taxation. I think you will find it worth while if you haven’t discovered the site already.
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/about.html
Thanks. Bill Black is a good guy. For more actual world, nuts and bolts on taxation, IMO David Cay Johnson lays it out better.
One does have to admire the elites and corporations for the masterful job they’ve done over the past few decades in directing the masses to focus on lowering income taxes, and for a short while real estate taxes. What the rubes don’t get is that there aggregate tax hit is larger than it once was and the goods and services that governments once delivered are less. For those in the middle income/wealth segment, it’s probably close to a wash with fewer goods/services. A huge shift from progressive to regressive taxation over those years and they still can’t figure out why they are at best treading water compared to their parents and grandparents who did experience personal gains over their lives.
Ah yes, the family farm and small business inheritance tax claim. As alluded to in the link, most, if not, all family businesses subject to inheritance taxes are owned on paper by trusts and avoid the tax that way. Farmers who own multi-million dollar farms are not ignorant rubes. Those who are not college graduates have the sense to consult tax attorneys.
The “small businessmen” that I know who complain about inheritance tax are garage shop operations that would starve if they didn’t have a day job. (Some are battling the wolf at the door despite having good union jobs because they are abysmal money mangers and shopaholics.)
Billmon today
Wrng thread. And blank link
The other thread was too old.
Use the primary link. Plenty of other good stuff there today.
Late 1960’s thru 1970’s every major public/private college was into affirmative action. They wanted minorities who would be successful (graduate) just not good grades. Competition for these students like Carson was intense and still is. Being approached by an undergrad in 1960’s is not unusual.
Please cite evidence that this done by Yale or any of the Ivies. Current Yale method is that alumni conduct such interviews, and Voice experienced first hand that MIT also enlisted alumni for out-of-state interviews in the early 1960s.
Russ Choma, Mother Jones — Ben Carson Made Money With the Help of a Felon Convicted of Health Care Fraud
Other elements in Dr. Carson’s inspirational story are also cracking with fact checking.