Dr Adrian Harrop, who the funk does he think he is?

"I'm just finishing up a PhD in philosophy, so maybe I can apply some 'critical thinking' to this issue of child brides."

thank you!

I find this “trans women are women” Dr deeply concerning as I think the ability to distinguish between men and women is a fairly basic level of knowledge that most all women expect from a Dr.

Once a medical doctor announces to the world on twitter and TV they cannot tell the difference between a male and female human it is quite likely becoming a corporation is their only choice. After all, "corporations are people too, my friends".

I'm just finishing up a PhD in philosophy, so maybe I can apply some 'critical thinking' to this issue of child brides. As an aside, what is up with this guy pontificating about philosophy, sociology etc., when he did a bloody medical degree? Does he think that because he's clever enough to get into medical school he automatically gains knowledge of these other disciplines? Anyway, if he'd read any philosophy, he would learn that almost every single philosopher agrees that cultural relativism, as a theory of ethics, is bullshit. They've agreed this since the late 1960s/70s. And philosophers hardly agree on anything. So the fact that 99% of professional philosophers think that cultural relativism is bullshit should give you some indication of how illogical and nonsensical a theory it is.

He'd also learn that the vast majority of philosophers agree that ethics is objective - that some things just are right, and some things just are wrong. Very few philosophers think that ethics are just people's personal opinions, man. And so very few philosophers would agree that FGM, or marrying off child brides, are bad just because, like, colonists, like, have the opinion its bad. Rather, he'd learn that most philosophers think that marrying off child brides, and FGM, are bad because these are objectively morally wrong actions. That isn't anyone's opinion. That isn't just a matter of taste. These are really, actually, objectively bad things to do: period. These actions aren't morally permissible anywhere: they're wrong in the UK, and they're wrong in Sudan.

One final point. When he talks about culture, whose culture is he talking about? The little girls'? Because I'm pretty sure the little girls don't get together and decide what their culture is, and all nod and agree that, yes they'd actually quite like to be married off at 12. It's not the girls' culture because they don't get any say in this. I'd bet that if we could ask those little girls they really would rather they weren't getting their genitals cut, or being married off to 50 year olds.

The mutual congratulations between him and Christian is quite funny.

It is, in a nauseating way. Such a pair of narcissists looking in the mirror.

I have been observing Dr Christian’s activities on twitter for some time now and often wondered how he has avoided censure from the GMC. I can only assume that when he assures Dr Adrian not to worry as they are a sensible lot that he is telling the truth.

For those that missed it previous highlights include:

The time he excitedly tweeted that he had just seen a syphilitic chancre in his private clinic that morning. Several people called him out over confidentiality on this. Obviously he wasn’t stupid enough to name a name but anyone who knew someone who was consulting him that day might have put 2+2 together. And how would you feel if you returned from an upsetting visit to the Dr to find your unfortunate diagnosis being gloated over on twitter?

Then there was the time someone posted something homophobic, and he retweeted and advised his fan club to post dog poo through their letter box. IIRC someone actually found the address. There was a twitter storm and quick retraction reminding his fans he meant a metaphorical letter box and not to take his instruction literally.

And that of course is his preferred modus operandi - dare to disagree with him on any of his favourite topics - recreational drugs, vaccines, homeopathy, religion, LGBT issues and he will call on his willing army of fans to give you a good trolling and no doubt learn your lesson.

Dr Adrian meanwhile operates by using big words, belittling put downs and running to Dr C for support. What a pair.

thank goodness for that Anna - thanks!!

He's an awful man who cares very little for women.

Medical training involves 5 years at medical school after which you are a doctor.

However you aren't then fully qualified until you have done 2 years Foundation training - a series of paid posts on wards, in GP etc , which are fairly heavily supervised as you are still pretty clueless.

At the end of this you still can't really do anything without doing further specialty training - the quickest would be training to be a GP which is another 3 years of training or traning to be a consultant - different specialties will take different numbers of years. These would be the junior doctor years so some junior doctors would be very experienced and senior and some not so much.

Well, one things for sure: he could never have been present at any anatomy classes.

Amazing what crawls out when you turn a rock over.

So, Adrian's qualifications in

-politics
-philosophy
-sociology

involved a five-year medical degree?
And Christian thinks that Adrian's ability to say the words amounts to critical thinking.

Yep, this has finally RadFemmed me.
Can I have a joining certificate?

Ah, you see the unvarnished reality Gaspo

Well, I've just had to ask a (very good) trainee who is in her sixth year of training to rip up a document and start again. If she wasn't supervised, she'd be making fatal errors. Fortunately in our field those errors just involve money.....

If I ever needed medical treatment and was faced with him, I would be absolutely horrified and terrified. His misogynistic tweets indicate that he has very little, if any, respect for women. Out of interest, does anyone know if you would be entitled to demand an alternative doctor in those circumstances?

I'm not a medic, just an admin who used to work with a lot of medics in a university dept, but I'm afraid I don't think they are always heavily supervised when first qualified. Staff shortages, night shifts etc etc. A lot of newly qualified medics are really thrown in at the deep end.

I've just read his other tweet about paedophilia.

I suspect his five year degree didn't cover any of the "ologies" he's describing here.

The mutual congratulations between him and Christian is quite funny.

And Nimco Ali's tweet to the GMC of course.

Link to Anita Sharma's take on the good Drs (him and Christian J): mobile.twitter.com/NimkoAli/status/994468104238485504

Thanks Gaspode!

Presumably they are quite heavily supervised at the five year point though?

oh goody.

"I trust" is so very very amateur and "am I important enough yet"? I never let a trainee use that kind of language.

Aren't doctors trained not to talk like twits? I thought they were trained to be very direct and just say "I think X. I don't think Y". ("I don't think you've got a serious condition. I think you're anxious. I don't think we should refer you yet").

Yes, a medical degree involves lots and lots of placements and clinical skills training. That's why it takes so long to qualify - usually five years.

Anita Sharma and Nimco Ali are giving him a much needed lesson on Twitter. It's joyous.

Ah Adrian,

I trust that the reaction from your bosses to your use of the word "coven" will help you learn a valuable lesson.

I hadn't dared to hope you'd be learning it so soon......

"A brilliant registrar delivered my daughter by emergency CS, so I feel a bit invested in the status of registrars!"
Ah, lovely

I confess I have never got to grips with the medical hierarchy system.... I think sometimes as a patient it's better that way as it's easier to tell a specialist that actually you agree with your GP/physio, whatever....

Presumably then a medical degree involves all the getting of on-the-job experience type of stuff, not just academic stuff?
I had vaguely assumed it was like law where there is a four year stint of academic stuff (leaving you totally unqualified to help anyone) then two years' training.

Pretty sure our hospital trust bans staff going to Subway in scrubs, because it looks unprofessional. God knows what they’d make of this.

I liked the response from someone who pointed out what a misogynistic word 'coven' is.

Dr Harrop's response to those suggesting professional conflict issues.