I do think some doctors are greedy, yes.

I’m a physician myself, so I feel like I have a right to weigh in on this topic, covered here by several physician writers.

I have witnessed the rise of physician influence, and with that, physician influence that has taken on many shapes. Some of that influence is admittedly good, like when being involved in online conversations successfully persuades members of the public to change their medical habits, or attitudes, for the better.

But I’ve seen bad things happen, too. For example, I have watched as doctors take advantage of each other online, donning a mask of caring and kindness, as they peddle their burnout programs and get rich quick schemes.

They’ll wave success stories in front of their tired colleagues, and even attach absurd numbers to them, sometimes exaggerating how much they really made. They’ll also inflate their prices, charging other physicians absurd amounts because they have to mark things up to account for the kickbacks they give their friends.

There’s a lot of good doctors do here, online. Most of us aren’t greedy, or looking out to make a buck. But there’s certainly those of us that are.

So there isn’t a simple answer to your question. There’s just one big gray zone we need to figure out, as a field.