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Eugene, Portland eye 'doctor' accused of not being MD - OregonLive.com

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weird case... very portland :)
 
AdminWolf said:
weird case... very portland :)
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Agree. This is from the article: "According to court records, Olsovsky has been licensed as an optometrist since 2007. He holds a medical degree from Ross University in Dominica, West Indies."

If someone holds a legitimate degree, should they be prohibited from using it? I have a M.S. in Clinical Optometric Management from Pacific University and my office door has Marc A. Provencher, O.D., M.S. Am I missrepresenting myself? If I have an M.D. degree, but am not licensed to practice medicine, does that mean I cannot use that designation after my name?

If a physician or optometrist retires, and does not renew his license to practice medicine or optometry, does that mean he can no longer use the M.D. or O.D. designation?
 
In many states, there are specific provisions for the use of the "MD" word.

In CA (as in many states), one must have completed the 4-year program and do a 5th year to use the MD degree. I have met with medical school graduates from US schools who could not use the word MD on their business cards or hold themselves out has an MD because they did not complete that 5th year.

As a wrinkle, graduates of Mexican medical schools do not get an MD degree until they complete a two year community program.
 
Richard_Hom said:
In many states, there are specific provisions for the use of the "MD" word.

In CA (as in many states), one must have completed the 4-year program and do a 5th year to use the MD degree. I have met with medical school graduates from US schools who could not use the word MD on their business cards or hold themselves out has an MD because they did not complete that 5th year.

As a wrinkle, graduates of Mexican medical schools do not get an MD degree until they complete a two year community program.
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In Ontario we have protected titles; you must me licensed in order to use a protected title in a health care context. They include; physician, dentist, optometrist, Doctor, and so on.
 
Jeff Guthrie said:
In Ontario we have protected titles; you must me licensed in order to use a protected title in a health care context. They include; physician, dentist, optometrist, Doctor, and so on.
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I understand that, but does that actually apply to listing a degree you hold?

I say, if he went to a West Indies program and got an MD, he should be able to list it! I don't think he did anything wrong. And if the law in Oregon says so much, then the law should be changed.
 
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Kristin Bartlett said:
I understand that, but does that actually apply to listing a degree you hold?

I say, if he went to a West Indies program and got an MD, he should be able to list it! I don't think he did anything wrong. And if the law in Oregon says so much, then the law should be changed.
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I believe that our regulators in Ontario would take issue with that. If he was a CE lecturer and used his credentials in his presentation that would not attract any attention, but in this case it sounds as though he's presenting himself to prospective patients as a physician.

We have a similar situation here where there are foreign trained ophthalmologists who are licensed as optometrists. It would be inappropriate for them to present themselves as ophthalmologists to patients.

Now, the fact that he's been arrested over the matter is extreme IMHO. Especially a 2:40 AM arrest!?
 
Kristin Bartlett said:
I understand that, but does that actually apply to listing a degree you hold?

I say, if he went to a West Indies program and got an MD, he should be able....
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In my opinion, the law is clear and I believe he knew it. Academic degrees are for academic CVs and not for medical practice.
 
Twice..I mean how stupid can one be?

A few months ago I was served a subpoena to appear in California to testify against an attorney who represented me in a little class action suit against Yelp.

I only knew he was my "attorney". He had activated and deactivated his license many times.

During the time he contacted me he kept signing the letters..."Your yelp attorney".

When he cross examined me, he first tried to say maybe it wasn't him contacting me...perhaps someone else got ahold of his email address..

Next he asked me what they called me in California...is this fun or what?

I answered..well, the judge just called me Mr. Panzer...

Yeah yeah...but don't others call you DOCTOR?

I said..well, maybe because I have a "Doctor of Optometry Degree" but that does not permit me to "practice" in California.

Is this fun or what?

This moron kept putting signs out on his office...signs! after he was fined... I mean really?

There is no excuse
Thirty years ago when I had temporary insanity, I was going to allow a new grad who was going to be a faculty at UHCO to office share.

It was May and she had graduated, but not pass the board. I figured..big deal...put her name on the door and in thirty days she will start working here.

Someone did not find it amusing. They turned me in to the board for representing her as a practicing O.D.
I would argue that she did indeed posses the degree and was not present to practice.

They would have none of it and made me take the sticker down..no great loss.

She never worked anyhow..
2:00a.m. why on earth? Why not just meet him at the front door of his office.

They were making sure he knew that they were going to inconvenience him as he was inconveniencing them by having to arrest an idiot!
 
Allan, Check latest edition of Consumer Reports : major story about "bad " doctors (M.D.s).
One of which had good comments on Yelp , hiding major issues.
 
Richard_Hom said:
In my opinion, the law is clear and I believe he knew it. Academic degrees are for academic CVs and not for medical practice.
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I could not find Oregon law on the matter by searching. Do you have a link to the exact wording that would prohibit it? But yes, there must be a law or I don't think that police would have done that. But, over the top!!
 
Allan Panzer said:
Twice..I mean how stupid can one be?
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I agree. However, to accuse him of "practicing medicine without a license" is IMHO quite a stretch, unless he was exceeding the OR scope of optometric practice.

The practicing medicine without a license bit is very different from any sanctions by the optometry board for misrepresentation of his credentials.
 
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