For those Old Enough to Remember!
Stu Silverstein,MD 1999

I was born in 1959 so if you crunch the numbers, the new millennium coincides with my entering my 40th year on earth. To this day when I hear that someone is 40 something I think they are referring to an adult, not someone who is close to my age. This summer there will be no denying that I am actually middle aged. The world has changed dramatically. I remember buying our first color TV and dialing by rotary. If anyone had an answering machine we would hang up quickly, because it felt absurd talking to a machine. Now we get pissed off when we call someone and they don’t have an answering machine, " how rude " we mumble to ourselves. Most of us call hoping to get a machine so we can " get credit" for the call without having to spend time talking to someone.
The world of Medicine has changed as well, it has changed a bit over the past 10 years and even more so over the past 20 or 30. Here is a little survey on how many things have actually changed.

Then: Take off Wednesday Afternoon for 18 Holes of Golf
Now: Take off Wednesday all day for 18 hours of Paperwork
Then: Fee for Service
Now: Service for Free
Then: Hoping for to become a full partner
Now: Hoping to get on 4 Panels
Then: Reviewing Dr. Spock with Expectant Mothers
Now: Learning spirituality from Deepak
Then: Building Equity and Capital
Now: Increasing Enmity and Capitation.
Then: Lying back and listening to the Blues
Now: Getting Rejected claims from the Blues
Then: Dining with fellow Doctors to network and get referrals
Now: Multilevel Marketing and selling Soap, Soup and nuts to Squirrels
Then: Working at the Free Clinic
Now working for free at your own Clinic
Then: Tune in, Turn on, and Drop Out
Now: Turn on, Boot up, File Claim
Then: Boycotting homegrown Romaine Lettuce
Now: Growing your own hair with the help of Rogaine
Then: Graduating from School and hanging your Shingle.
Now: You’re so burnt out, you need Viagra to mingle
Then: The Vice President is someone named Spiro
Now: The Vice President Charisma level is zero
Then: You and Dick Clark don’t look a day over 30
Now: Dick Clark doesn’t look a day over 30
Then: You’re concerned about cash and hope your office isn’t bugged.
Now: You’re hoping your life won’t crash from the 2YK Bug
Then: We all had to put up with the drumming of Ringo Starr
Now: We all have to put up with the droning of Kenneth Starr
Then: You don’t trust anyone over 30
Now: You don’t trust anyone AND your kids are well past 30.
Then: Saying you’re an MD got you reservations at the finest restaurants
Now: Say you’re an MD and you "may" get approved for Disability Insurance with great reservation
Then: Watching the Rolling Stones and sending out for a keg
Now: Straining for Kidney stones and sending it to Pathology
Then: A President survived a tense Cuban Missile Crisis
Now: Once again, a President Survives a Cuban Missile Crisis
 You didn’t think we heard the end to that Story did you?

Stu Silverstein, MD--in addition to being a Pediatrician--is also an award winning Standup comedian and Popular Keynote Speaker. His 2 presentations "Humor in Medicine ??? ... You Must be Joking!!!" and "Reducing Stress with Humor and Not the other way Around !!" keep him in high demand at conferences and meetings. For more information, call 203-406-4298 or visit www.mdhumor.com.   You can also request the Joke of the week by e-mail Joke@mdhumor.com.