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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 08:21 PM Aug 2016

"I’m A Doctor. Here’s What I Find Most Concerning About Trump’s Medical Letter"

Dr Jennifer Gunter
"Many outlets have picked it apart, but I want to tell you as a doctor exactly how bad it is. I would never write anything this terrible for a jury duty excuse or a back to work note, never mind something that half the country (and possibly half the world) might see or could possibly end up one day in a presidential library!

There are so many issues with the letter ...

1. The header has a non-working web address, and doctors don’t include e-mail addresses in letters.
2. Lennox Hill has a Division of Gastroenterology, not a “Section,” and Dr. Bornstein isn’t listed on the website as a member.
3. The letter starts with a typo “To whom my concern” instead of ‘may concern’.
4. No doctor describes tests as “only positive results” or “astonishingly excellent.” "Only positive results” is gibberish.
5. Doctors don’t say “test score” — we just give the results.
6. How did Dr. Bornstein test Donald Trump’s strength and stamina?
7. “The healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.”

It’s a terrible letter.
Did Dr. Bornstein write it? If so he should be embarrassed. It’s medically illiterate.

For a fuller explanation of the above points, read more at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-gunter/im-a-doctor-heres-concerning-trumps-medical-letter_b_11565838.html

34 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"I’m A Doctor. Here’s What I Find Most Concerning About Trump’s Medical Letter" (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Aug 2016 OP
Trump wrote the letter, it's pretty obvious. DanTex Aug 2016 #1
He does have the most amazing mind in the world left-of-center2012 Aug 2016 #2
And he knows words. He has the best words! DanTex Aug 2016 #5
Having Yuge hands help! Lithos Aug 2016 #19
Maybe it was plagiarized by the same fictional person that wrote AllyCat Aug 2016 #17
Lol. My suspicion also. Someone with "astonishingly Hortensis Aug 2016 #27
Ew. That's right. I wonder what those tests were he came up positive for? montana_hazeleyes Aug 2016 #28
Wow, it DOES sound like it's from a soap opera script... Beartracks Aug 2016 #3
Dr. Nick Riviera Xipe Totec Aug 2016 #4
Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a central scrutinizer Aug 2016 #6
I'm a nurse and a mom and there is no way a professional wrote that note. uppityperson Aug 2016 #7
There's no way even one of Trump's clerks wrote that note! Hortensis Aug 2016 #29
Maybe Harold Bornstein is the Donald Trump of doctors Tommy_Carcetti Aug 2016 #8
Only positive results treestar Aug 2016 #9
Insanity? left-of-center2012 Aug 2016 #23
STD's, cancer, diabetes, etc. kerry-is-my-prez Aug 2016 #34
"Doctors don’t say “test score” — we just give the results." Doctor Jack Aug 2016 #10
I have no professional standards to adhere to, Hortensis Aug 2016 #30
My doctor has never described me as "astonishingly excellent". Nye Bevan Aug 2016 #11
Neither did my ex-wife :-( n/t left-of-center2012 Aug 2016 #24
Does your ex-wife know Nye? awoke_in_2003 Aug 2016 #31
Thank you, Dr. Gunter. tavernier Aug 2016 #12
One more in the ever longer line of fake sources attached to Trump. Ford_Prefect Aug 2016 #13
Trump's "Doctor" is in this scene perhaps?! anneboleyn Aug 2016 #14
I think it's pretty clear Trump wrote it himself. cyberswede Aug 2016 #15
"Dr" Bornstein was being sarcastic. ThoughtCriminal Aug 2016 #16
Kim from North Korea wrote that letter. sarcasmo Aug 2016 #18
Dr. Spaceman! Buckeye_Democrat Aug 2016 #20
It is going to be a vacuum of comedy material when Trump leaves the stage. Love the comments on Thinkingabout Aug 2016 #21
"Dr. Bornstein" is another one of Rump's alter egos, like Mr. Barron. LuckyLib Aug 2016 #22
How is this possible? Dworkin Aug 2016 #25
Interesting lillypaddle Aug 2016 #26
kick napkinz Aug 2016 #32
If Dr. Bornstein actually wrote this, he's winking at us mainer Aug 2016 #33

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
27. Lol. My suspicion also. Someone with "astonishingly
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 05:45 AM
Aug 2016

excellent" lab test results. And an "all positive" examination -- i.e., this person has everything wrong with him.

Seriously, no physician or medical office staffer wrote this profoundly clueless letter. If the author had a psychiatrist, a copy of it would be added to his file.

montana_hazeleyes

(3,424 posts)
28. Ew. That's right. I wonder what those tests were he came up positive for?
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 06:11 AM
Aug 2016

I thought he had worked so hard to avoid all that stuff in the Vietnam Era.

Beartracks

(12,807 posts)
3. Wow, it DOES sound like it's from a soap opera script...
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 08:33 PM
Aug 2016

... and written by someone trying to sound doctor-y.

======================

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
29. There's no way even one of Trump's clerks wrote that note!
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 07:16 AM
Aug 2016

"To whom MY concern:"

His mind never manages to get very far from himself.


Tommy_Carcetti

(43,173 posts)
8. Maybe Harold Bornstein is the Donald Trump of doctors
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 09:22 PM
Aug 2016

In other words, grossly unqualified in anything he proclaims to be experienced at.

Doctor Jack

(3,072 posts)
10. "Doctors don’t say “test score” — we just give the results."
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 09:27 PM
Aug 2016

Not true. I give all of my patients a letter grade on their test results. Who needs "positive" or "negative" or specific lab values, when you can give someone a B+ on their cholesterol test?

In all seriousness, I've never heard any health care professional ever use the term "test scores" before. "Results", "values", "findings" are all common terms. "Test scores" is unusual, unless you are talking about some psychological tests looking at things like cognitive functioning. I don't know much about this story but my opinion on some of the terminology used in that letter is that it sounds very odd.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
30. I have no professional standards to adhere to,
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 07:23 AM
Aug 2016

Doctor Jack. The content and terminology are totally whackadoodle. Or as a more responsible person might say, it calls the author's credibility into serious question.

I'd give Trump an F for the paper, but grading on a curve just for him, a B. He did write in complete sentences, and that must have taken some effort.

tavernier

(12,376 posts)
12. Thank you, Dr. Gunter.
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 10:22 PM
Aug 2016

As a nurse of forty years, I'm very familiar with written communication between physicians, patients, legal representatives, etc.

As a mother and grandmother of several generations, I'm very familiar with letters written by a nine year old child.

As you correctly point out, Mr. Trump's letter is medically illiterate.

Ford_Prefect

(7,882 posts)
13. One more in the ever longer line of fake sources attached to Trump.
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 10:25 PM
Aug 2016

At least now we know who he copied his home-work from, right?

For what it may be worth I do not think Trump authored this. I believe he has a think-tank of failed television writers quartered in northern NJ that spends all its time making up stuff like this along with 1/2 the loony slogans he rolls out at interviews.

anneboleyn

(5,611 posts)
14. Trump's "Doctor" is in this scene perhaps?!
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 10:39 PM
Aug 2016
https://m.


The fact that nobody is really questioning this absurd letter ridiculously annoying.

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
21. It is going to be a vacuum of comedy material when Trump leaves the stage. Love the comments on
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 11:19 PM
Aug 2016

this thread, got several laughs.

LuckyLib

(6,819 posts)
22. "Dr. Bornstein" is another one of Rump's alter egos, like Mr. Barron.
Wed Aug 17, 2016, 11:25 PM
Aug 2016

The voice in the letter, the idiotic superlatives, the sheer lunacy of any doctor writing this way. Are we sure it isn't a great joke on the Trumpster?

Dworkin

(164 posts)
25. How is this possible?
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 05:17 AM
Aug 2016

Hi,

How is it possible that this is even happening? There are millions of people working hard every day to get things right; there are schools, universities, businesses held in high regard, and this letter has been put forward in a US presidential election?

If this letter turned up in any job application process it would go in the waste bin.

If Trump is not exposed and removed from this process, the whole US democratic system is damaged, and I fear that it is damaged already.

D.

mainer

(12,022 posts)
33. If Dr. Bornstein actually wrote this, he's winking at us
Fri Aug 19, 2016, 03:22 PM
Aug 2016

It's like a hostage on TV, trying to blink a secret message to the world. Bornstein's blinking "SOS don't vote for this crazy man."

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