Don't be this guy--MD poser turned IMG MD

[LostLamb]

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-06/adam-litwin-fake-doctor-becomes-md

So...many...red...flags...

Discuss.

[Torntoiletpaper]

Well, he certainly gives a new meaning to "fake it until you make it". 

[Pakoon]

Good to know a criminal record with something related directly to medicine, doesn't stop you from practicing medicine 

[avocado_toast]

7 hours ago, Pakoon said:

Good to know a criminal record with something related directly to medicine, doesn't stop you from practicing medicine 

He’s not practicing medicine thank goodness - he’s just spent a bunch of money on a medical degree from the Caribbean, and now he’s applying to residency programs and getting rejected. The agencies in the US are well aware of his background. He’s a pathological liar and there’s now a news article which broadcasts his troubling behaviour. I don’t think anyone would choose to have this person in their residency program after reading this. I hope he never gets in anywhere; he’s obviously very narcissistic, selfish and self-serving. He shouldn’t be allowed to be anywhere near vulnerable psychiatric patients.

[VivaColombia]

Seems like this individual has a lot of money and time to spend....

[Intrepid86]

Despite his past, I wish him well. He wanted to be a doctor and he became one. If his behavior since med school has been unremarkable, or even exemplary, then maybe he's changed. Regardless, it's still an uphill battle for him. Matching is difficult enough for IMGs without red flags, nevermind those with them. 

[Edict]

Hard to pass judgement on him because the story just isn't complete. The story sounds like he was just a keen kid who had some personality/psychiatric issues who is finally now a doctor and we would wish him well.

But... there are some major holes in this story. I don't think anyone could impersonate a resident at UCLA and get away with it for a year, even with medical knowledge. If your senior asks you to see the patient and you disappear and never see the patient? You aren't welcome back the next day that's for sure. A surgery resident who never scrubs in on a case for a year? Highly doubtful, even the prelim residents would have done something in a year, especially in 1986 when residents worked 36 hour shifts.

Also a white coat with your picture on it and everyone is approaching you asking you where they can get one like that? Tough to believe... sounds narcissistic to me

 

 

[Pakoon]

7 hours ago, Edict said:

Hard to pass judgement on him because the story just isn't complete. The story sounds like he was just a keen kid who had some personality/psychiatric issues who is finally now a doctor and we would wish him well.

But... there are some major holes in this story. I don't think anyone could impersonate a resident at UCLA and get away with it for a year, even with medical knowledge. If your senior asks you to see the patient and you disappear and never see the patient? You aren't welcome back the next day that's for sure. A surgery resident who never scrubs in on a case for a year? Highly doubtful, even the prelim residents would have done something in a year, especially in 1986 when residents worked 36 hour shifts.

Also a white coat with your picture on it and everyone is approaching you asking you where they can get one like that? Tough to believe... sounds narcissistic to me

 

 

So this story is probably click bait and odds are it's highly exaggerated. Going back for a second read, I'm sure the nurses and other staff knew who were the on duty residents, and knowing how we nurses  talk, it would have gotten him caught in mere minutes. The bulk of this story probably just stems from him being mistaken for a resident by medstudents and patients.

[rmorelan]

6 hours ago, Pakoon said:

So this story is probably click bait and odds are it's highly exaggerated. Going back for a second read, I'm sure the nurses and other staff knew who were the on duty residents, and knowing how we nurses  talk, it would have gotten him caught in mere minutes. The bulk of this story probably just steams from him being mistaken for a resident by medstudents and patients.

Yeah does seem odd - would only work if you were an elective student I guess and slip around through the cracks. There have been several examples of that going on in the past - even at high profile hospitals. 

makes me wonder what exactly is a forgivable offence - some things are clearly off limits, and what this guy did may fall into that. I know there were several other cases of people just showing up at medical school and going to class - I mean they are found out eventually, and actually they have gotten a lot faster at doing it quickly but some people are so focused on this they go to all kinds of extremes. 

Similarly how long of a "time out" zone is appropriate. 

What makes this messy in our extremely competitive system admission is a zero sum game - you let this person in and you automatically don't let in someone else etc.