Snake oil salesman: A neurologist navigates the treacherous waters of clinical practice

American healthcare is in the process of undergoing changes that impact the providers and the recipients of care. Medical practice is heavily regulated and not subject to the forces of supply and demand. There continue to be extraordinary advancements in medical treatment. Patients are more demanding, while the insurance industry is reining in the access and cost of care. The US government is in the driver’s seat, one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator. The interplay of the participants is toxic. The patients stories are scattered across a span of more than 40 years and the occasional names mentioned are not real. I was caught up in a sensational attempted murder trial and the details are a matter of public record. I detoured into that alternate reality. The title is a nod to the benighted antiscience confederacy.