Never trust an EK AME
Just ask yourself one question. Why am I here, why am I working for EK?
Then ask yourself, why are foreign doctors working for EK. Why would you leave your own country when you have a job that pays well and customers are assured?
Doctors are individuals just like yourself, as humans they also have their doubts, ideals, a family, children, hobby’s. Professionally they too follow procedures, in the end it is a science based on evidence, nless you tamper with the evidence or ignore reality for reasons other than medical ones. The difference is that the human body is complicated and science has its limitations, doctors can never guarantee the outcome of their actions.
There is nothing special in being a doctor, the studies are not more difficult than an academic degree in engineering, physics or many other. If you have a good memory, if you like chemistry and can think logically with common sense then you can become a doctor if you are prepared to put in the time and effort.
The result is a respectful profession and a lot of money. But you get only people over the floor that complain and are in pain unless you decide not to treat patients and use your degree for something else.
As a doctor you will automatically enjoy the trust of your patients, simply because it is something that has grown historically. But just as with every other profession you have doctors that are crooks, narcissistic, womanizers, ego trippers etc .... you also have the normal ones. This is something that is often overlooked; it is not because you are intelligent that you may not be a bad person. You have crooks in the world finance, CEO, politicians etc.... actually if you look at history you see doctors involved in war crimes and leading terrorist organizations.
With the general public, doctors somehow escape the perception of this possibility. If you think about a doctor you think about someone who helps you when you are sick. Since the reality of this world is money driven one can say that doctors make money on the back of those that have to go and see them because they are in pain.
Their studies can be summarised in three steps. First the study of the components of the body (anatomy), second the study of the body when thing work normal (physiology) and step tree study of the body when things go wrong (pathology).
The problem is that they too need to be checked out, not on an aircraft but on the human body of their clients. Just like first officers need to get the experience and exposure before they are ready to take on a position with more responsibility, doctors need to get trough a similar phase. As a result it takes about 7 to 8 years before they are checked out on human beings like you and me.
Doctors are just like you and me, they need food, a roof above their heads, and clothes, in short a job that brings in the money.
Doctors too fall in love, raise a family etc…. Male doctors are not different that male pilots, they too turn their head when they see a beautiful woman, they too get horny, they too like good food and a beer or glass of wine.
You have doctors that start their own practice, some help sportsman with their injuries, some help athletes to dope themselves, some work as advisors for insurance companies in their battle against patients that take their doctor to court because of malpractice, some doctors just go for the money and specialize in silicone boops …. etc
And then there are the AME.
Why would you want to become an AME? Why would you want to become an EK AME?
Taking medical examinations from, statistically speaking individuals that are very healthy.
Most of their arguments are the same as those of most pilots. Work for a solid company, tax free salary etc …. Their primary concern is not your health, it is their job, their house, food, provide for their family etc…. the stuff we al do.
In the UAE they have to do what they are being told by EK. Forget about medical confidentiality or ethics, these do not exist.
When doctors make a mistake and are being challenged about it, they turn into the worst creatures on the surface of this earth. They lie, manipulate, protect each other and become very arrogant.
In the UAE and working for EK that means that EK is liable for their actions. In summary this means that you stand no chance in case something goes wrong.
Moreover, the money EK spends on medical issues, is strictly controlled by the company chief medical officer, who functions as a bean counter and not as a doctor who is there to help you. Everything is money driven.
EK doctors will protect themselves and only themselves.
So never say anything confidential to your EK doctor, go to a doctor in your own country.
And last but not least, there are several cases in EK where EK used their doctors to make falsified medical reports to get rid of a pilot. You can only imagine what a battle you are facing to rectify these practises, not only in the UAE, but everywhere else you may want to work after leaving EK.
In the end, any doctor that wants to stick strictly to the deontology of his profession will soon rather than late run away from this place. Those that stay are part of the system.
In the end they are very lonely people, it is almost impossible for them to share confidential or sensitive information with others except their colleagues and even this is risky. This is a problem.
CRM in the true sense of the word does NOT exist in the medical world. They behave like the captain that knows it all; they do not tolerate any critics and will destroy anyone that may be a treat to their reputation.
They are human as everyone else and so they do make mistakes. However, they refuse to recognise this or even learn from their mistakes since they will never admit to one. As such they put themselves above every other human.
In short they may be dangerous and there is nothing you can do about it. Not even a second opinion.
They are the opposite of the natural commander; who is open to critics, shares information and accepts that he too can make mistakes and therefore creates an environment of true confidence in each other.
Any case, were the reputation and integrity of the EK medical may rightfully be questioned will be crushed like a cockroach.
Last edited by Pitch Up Authority; 21st Feb 2011 at 17:18.