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Somerville doctor hopes to keep practicing
WHDH News ^ | 06/15/2006

Posted on 06/16/2006 1:39:02 PM PDT by Panerai

SOMERVILLE, Mass. -- A Somerville physician is sending letters to his patients letting them know he's living as a transsexual.

Doctor Roy Berkowitz-Shelton says he's taking a three-week vacation and will return as Doctor Deborah Bershel.

The 52-year-old family physician has worked in Davis Square for 18 years and hopes to continue serving patients as a woman.

The executive director of the state board of registration in medicine says the change won't affect the doctor's standing.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: doctor; somerville; transsexual

1 posted on 06/16/2006 1:39:03 PM PDT by Panerai
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To: Panerai

Dr. Roy Berkowitz-Shelton.
2 posted on 06/16/2006 1:40:50 PM PDT by Panerai
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To: Panerai
The executive director of the state board of registration in medicine says the change won't affect the doctor's standing.

Really? Acrually, I see a lot more squatting in the Doc's future.

3 posted on 06/16/2006 1:41:59 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("So to hell with that twerp at the [WaPo]. I've got no time for him on a day like this." Mark Steyn)
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To: Panerai

(shrug) What-ever.


4 posted on 06/16/2006 1:42:42 PM PDT by sinanju
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To: Panerai

Hope "Deborah" is gonna lose the beard.


5 posted on 06/16/2006 1:44:50 PM PDT by D1X1E
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To: Panerai
Physicians generally carry a eunuch roll in society
A transsexual is not a great stretch, but weird

Medical practice is all about relationships however
One must be able to get close to people rapidly and effectively

This will surely alter forcefully future relationships...
6 posted on 06/16/2006 1:48:43 PM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: D1X1E

And get some hair plugs up top.


7 posted on 06/16/2006 1:49:08 PM PDT by Argus
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To: Argus
This will surely alter forcefully future relationships...

Especially if she's a urologist.

8 posted on 06/16/2006 1:50:22 PM PDT by Argus
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To: Panerai
I don't think I would want to be under this doctor's care. I think his position on things might be a litte skewed:

"Mr. Smith, it looks like you've got a case of gonorrhea. We're going to have to amputate."

"Mr. Jones, it looks like you've got the flu. We're going to have to remove your penis and testicles."
9 posted on 06/16/2006 1:51:59 PM PDT by fr_freak
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To: Panerai

EW!

I can only hope that NORMAL people would change their doctor to one who isn't so confused. Who'd have confidence in someone, anyone for that matter who'd go to an EXTREME and change their gender? This guy is VERY TROUBLED. I wouldn't trust his diagnosis on ANY medical issue.


10 posted on 06/16/2006 2:05:09 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) !)
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To: nmh

Who said doctors were normal people?


11 posted on 06/16/2006 2:09:22 PM PDT by GAB-1955 (being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the Kingdom of Heaven....)
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To: GAB-1955

"Who said doctors were normal people?"

Some are. Some are in their "practice" for the right reasons and give good "opinions". Others, like this one should lose their license due to emotional and mental issues that remain unresolved.


12 posted on 06/16/2006 2:20:13 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) !)
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To: Panerai

That is going to be one fugly *****!


13 posted on 06/16/2006 2:25:49 PM PDT by rattrap
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To: GAB-1955
LOL.....I am married to one and resembles that remark!!!!!
14 posted on 06/16/2006 2:32:49 PM PDT by Kimmers
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To: Panerai

Uh, he's not going to make a very attractive woman.


15 posted on 06/16/2006 2:48:33 PM PDT by conserv13
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To: nmh
I can only hope that NORMAL people would change their doctor to one who isn't so confused

I see my doctor once a year, for a checkup. I spend all of about 10 minutes with him. If next year 'he' turned out to be a 'she', I probably wouldn't even notice, or care.

16 posted on 06/16/2006 2:51:38 PM PDT by conserv13
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To: conserv13

WELL, WE all know what the politically correct view of this is.

We're not supposed to be judgemental if someone wants his penis cut off. We're supposed to be tolerant of the LGBT community. The "T" in LGBT community stands for transsexual.

Can the patients who switch doctors be sued for discrimination by not going back to him / her, whatever pronoun you use for a tranny?


17 posted on 06/16/2006 2:52:48 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Most transsexuals don't like being lumped in with most gays, either. It's a political alliance of convenience only.


18 posted on 06/17/2006 9:09:50 AM PDT by GAB-1955 (being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the Kingdom of Heaven....)
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To: fr_freak

I think you’re being a bit hasty in your judgments. Here’s my take on the situation.

Dr. Bershel is my physician. When I call to get an appointment and she's booked solid for weeks, she finds a way to squeeze me in, even if she has to stay beyond normal business hours.

When I ask her to call regarding some medical issue, she calls back the same day, and offers intelligent advice over the phone. I don’t get a call from a nurse who screens access to the doctor.

When I visit the office, she calls back a few days later to check on how I'm doing.

She finds ways to keep the costs associated with my healthcare low, while providing an incredibly high quality of care.

She's always polite when I have an office visit, and is always interested in my health, my life and my attitude.

She talks to me as an equal, and never cops an attitude when I question what she tells me. Instead, she works to educate and convince me to go along with her suggestions.

She graduated from a top-notch medical school, and knows about the latest research or newspaper articles before I do.

I don’t know what might prompt these kind of ignorant remarks. I honestly expected better. I personally don’t have such issues. I don't care about her gender issues, and I don’t care about how she dresses. I do care about her intelligence, her compassion, and her dedication to her job. She’s the best physician with whom I’ve ever dealt.


19 posted on 11/07/2006 2:28:27 AM PST by janedoe11 (Perhaps you're being hasty.)
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To: janedoe11
Well, hey, you're bringing up an old discussion, aren't you.

If you are all content and happy with your transsexual doctor, then by all means, continue to see him/her/it. She/he/it may be a very well-educated, intelligent doctor. However, I am forced to question the judgement of anyone who decided that the way to solve their gender confusion issues was by having their own body mutilated and parts amputated. Regardless of how much he thinks he wants to be a woman, he will never BE a woman, regardless of what is cut off. He will simply be a man who is pretending to be a woman. As wonderful a human being as he may be in all other respects, he has demonstrated a significant mental disorder in this regard, and it is difficult for me to believe that such a drastic disorder will have no manifestations in his judgement in medical treatment.

These statements are not ignorant. On the contrary, the true ignorance is acceptance of such drastic self-mutilation as a normal, healthy action. The concept of tolerance has gone too far in this PC world, where people are no longer allowed to say that crazy is crazy.
20 posted on 11/07/2006 9:16:08 AM PST by fr_freak
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