How Do You Recover From This?

[The White Coat Investor]

Those outside the emergency medicine community or the New York City medical community may not know much about David Newman, but he was one of the most respected names in the specialty- popular podcast, speaker at national meetings etc. That is, until his fall from grace over the last year.

http://nypost.com/2016/12/16/ex-doc-admits-to-sexually-assaulting-er-patients/

“On Jan. 12, 2016, you subjected the complainant to sexual contact when she was incapable of giving consent,” Judge Michael Obus said in taking Newman’s plea. “Do you enter a plea of guilty on that charge?”

Newman responded “Yes.”

As part of the plea deal, Newman, a dad of two, additionally admitted he had groped the same woman during a previous visit. He also copped to groping the three other women in the summer and fall of 2015.

“I administered an unnecessary dose of Propofol [to one victim], causing [her] to be unable to speak or respond, leaving her unconscious and masturbating next to her,” Newman told the judge.

“On three other occasions, I unnecessarily touched the patients during treatment,” Newman added. “These compulsions twisted my brain, and I am so deeply sorry to all of these victims.”

Obviously you can't insure against this sort of thing. Dr. Newman will never again practice medicine. But he'll be out of jail in two years. Then what? Where do you go from here? He's intelligent, talented, and reasonably young. What kind of work can you do when even a minimal Google background check is going to pull this up?

[jfoxcpacfp]

Sad and I hope he is truly sorry for what he did (not just for being caught) and is seeking help.

To answer your question, he should start his own business, one in which that particular conviction is an embarrassment but is not a barrier to others to buy from him or use his services. Maybe write a book about it all first.

[Dicast]

I think starting your own business is about the only way to recover with any reasonable lifestyle.  I don't know about a tell all book but maybe a traveling lecture series/motivational speaking to groups of people with compulsive disorders.

[EH]

Who cares? Once again you can assault women in a particularly egregious manner and get minimal jail time....

[Hatton]

What is unusual about this is that he was prosecuted.  When I was department chief (ob/gyn) a cardiologist was accused of fondling a secretary in a meeting.  The hospital encouraged her not to call the police.  He admitted it and was sent to a sexual addiction clinic. The hospital wanted to avoid publicity.  I thought the police should have been called.  This was 15-20 years ago and it still bothers me.

[jfoxcpacfp]

hatton1 wrote:

What is unusual about this is that he was prosecuted.  When I was department chief (ob/gyn) a cardiologist was accused of fondling a secretary in a meeting.  The hospital encouraged her not to call the police.  He admitted it and was sent to a sexual addiction clinic. The hospital wanted to avoid publicity.  I thought the police should have been called.  This was 15-20 years ago and it still bothers me.

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I think the hospital should have been prosecuted. How horrible - wonder what else they have allowed to be covered up.

[WealthyDoc]

I agree with the 'who cares' sentiment.  I would be more interested if he were innocent and falsely accused.  That is the scenario that scares me more and to which I would be more sympathetic.

More direct answer:  He will be fine (at least for now on this Earth!).  I have known many physicians who fell from grace and they all did wonderfully well thereafter.  One even went to Federal prison for a year over prescription drug issues.  When he got out of prison he got his license back.  He started several profitable medical related businesses.  He can no longer treat Medicaid or Medicare patients but those were his two lowest payers so he is thrilled with that.  He makes more money and works fewer days than he ever did a the peak of his busy, successful practice.

[PhysicianOnFIRE]

Whoa...

I would think he will have an awfully difficult time finding a good job of any kind (even outside of medicine) as an employee. Self-employment might be his best bet. I wouldn't want to work alongside him, or anywhere near him.

[hightower]

I think the answer to your question is...you don't recover from something like that, and rightfully so.  He will probably have to work as a cheap laborer of some sort.  But he deserves it.  And, frankly, should get more time in prison than that.  No matter how respectable he was in a professional sense, that is absolutely disgusting behavior and I definitely think the title "sexual predator" applies here.  He really screwed up and deserves to be punished very harshly for it.  Imagine how horrifying that would be for the victim.  We all have done stupid things in life, but sexual predators and violent criminals are the worst in my opinion (which is why I despise Sexual Predator In Chief Trump so much).  Zero tolerance, no matter what your background.  He should have known better, which makes him even more devious in my book.  I would bet he also used to drug women at frat parties when he was in college.  $50,000 bond?  What a joke!

This case is a perfect example of how screwed up our criminal justice system is.  If he were a minority or someone from a poor background he would have been given a life sentence.  Yet, he's walking around free on bail.

[jfoxcpacfp]

Dicast wrote:

I think starting your own business is about the only way to recover with any reasonable lifestyle.  I don’t know about a tell all book but maybe a traveling lecture series/motivational speaking to groups of people with compulsive disorders.

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To clarify the book angle, I wasn't referring to a "tell all", which does sound a bit disgusting, but perhaps writing about his experience and fall from grace, hopefully to serve as a warning to others who might be tempted to do the same. At least some good could come out of it.

[VagabondMD]

I do not know, and it is really no interest to me. It sounds like he has significant supratentorial problems, and the medical field is a better, safer place without him.

[RogueDadMD]

The White Coat Investor wrote:

Those outside the emergency medicine community or the New York City medical community may not know much about David Newman, but he was one of the most respected names in the specialty- popular podcast, speaker at national meetings etc. That is, until his fall from grace over the last year.

http://nypost.com/2016/12/16/ex-doc-admits-to-sexually-assaulting-er-patients/

“On Jan. 12, 2016, you subjected the complainant to sexual contact when she was incapable of giving consent,” Judge Michael Obus said in taking Newman’s plea. “Do you enter a plea of guilty on that charge?”

Newman responded “Yes.”

As part of the plea deal, Newman, a dad of two, additionally admitted he had groped the same woman during a previous visit. He also copped to groping the three other women in the summer and fall of 2015.

“I administered an unnecessary dose of Propofol [to one victim], causing [her] to be unable to speak or respond, leaving her unconscious and masturbating next to her,” Newman told the judge.

“On three other occasions, I unnecessarily touched the patients during treatment,” Newman added. “These compulsions twisted my brain, and I am so deeply sorry to all of these victims.”

Obviously you can’t insure against this sort of thing. Dr. Newman will never again practice medicine. But he’ll be out of jail in two years. Then what? Where do you go from here? He’s intelligent, talented, and reasonably young. What kind of work can you do when even a minimal Google background check is going to pull this up?

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I read his book, "Hippocrates Shadow," on the recommendation of a mentor who is a friend of his, and I thought it was phenomenal.  This was before the sexual assault story came out.  It's always hard to know what to do when trying to absorb advice from someone you later learn has a diseased mind (or one type of one at least).

The intentional unnecessary dose of propofol is scary for a number of reasons.  I agree he's fortunate that was only 2 years.  I can't imagine he would ever be allowed to practice EM again even if he is allowed to regain his license.  You can't really insure against being a felon.  Sure, he can try to start a business, but most doors will be closed to him when he comes out.

 

[Gas_Doc]

The White Coat Investor wrote:

Those outside the emergency medicine community or the New York City medical community may not know much about David Newman, but he was one of the most respected names in the specialty- popular podcast, speaker at national meetings etc. That is, until his fall from grace over the last year.

http://nypost.com/2016/12/16/ex-doc-admits-to-sexually-assaulting-er-patients/

“On Jan. 12, 2016, you subjected the complainant to sexual contact when she was incapable of giving consent,” Judge Michael Obus said in taking Newman’s plea. “Do you enter a plea of guilty on that charge?”

Newman responded “Yes.”

As part of the plea deal, Newman, a dad of two, additionally admitted he had groped the same woman during a previous visit. He also copped to groping the three other women in the summer and fall of 2015.

“I administered an unnecessary dose of Propofol [to one victim], causing [her] to be unable to speak or respond, leaving her unconscious and masturbating next to her,” Newman told the judge.

“On three other occasions, I unnecessarily touched the patients during treatment,” Newman added. “These compulsions twisted my brain, and I am so deeply sorry to all of these victims.”

Obviously you can’t insure against this sort of thing. Dr. Newman will never again practice medicine. But he’ll be out of jail in two years. Then what? Where do you go from here? He’s intelligent, talented, and reasonably young. What kind of work can you do when even a minimal Google background check is going to pull this up?

Click to expand...

Jim, I'm usually in line with you on things, but this is a weird (bordering on uncomfortable) series of questions you ask in response to pretty heinous crime. Do you have a personal relationship with this guy and that's why you're sympathetic to him? Why are you thinking about his financial future? What about the women he groped?

 

I have NO sympathy for him being unable to work in the future. I'm with those who have said "who cares" in regards to his future employment options. I'm surprised he only got 2 years in jail. He freaking drugged someone into a state of unconsciousness so he could jerk off! Maybe it's because I'm an anesthesiologist, but this part angered me the most: taking advantage of someone in their more absolute vulnerable state. Hope he never gets near the health profession again...

[DarrVao777]

Gas_Doc wrote:

The White Coat Investor wrote:

Those outside the emergency medicine community or the New York City medical community may not know much about David Newman, but he was one of the most respected names in the specialty- popular podcast, speaker at national meetings etc. That is, until his fall from grace over the last year.

http://nypost.com/2016/12/16/ex-doc-admits-to-sexually-assaulting-er-patients/

“On Jan. 12, 2016, you subjected the complainant to sexual contact when she was incapable of giving consent,” Judge Michael Obus said in taking Newman’s plea. “Do you enter a plea of guilty on that charge?”

Newman responded “Yes.”

As part of the plea deal, Newman, a dad of two, additionally admitted he had groped the same woman during a previous visit. He also copped to groping the three other women in the summer and fall of 2015.

“I administered an unnecessary dose of Propofol [to one victim], causing [her] to be unable to speak or respond, leaving her unconscious and masturbating next to her,” Newman told the judge.

“On three other occasions, I unnecessarily touched the patients during treatment,” Newman added. “These compulsions twisted my brain, and I am so deeply sorry to all of these victims.”

Obviously you can’t insure against this sort of thing. Dr. Newman will never again practice medicine. But he’ll be out of jail in two years. Then what? Where do you go from here? He’s intelligent, talented, and reasonably young. What kind of work can you do when even a minimal Google background check is going to pull this up?

Click to expand…

Jim, I’m usually in line with you on things, but this is a weird (bordering on uncomfortable) series of questions you ask in response to pretty heinous crime. Do you have a personal relationship with this guy and that’s why you’re sympathetic to him? Why are you thinking about his financial future? What about the women he groped?

 

I have NO sympathy for him being unable to work in the future. I’m with those who have said “who cares” in regards to his future employment options. I’m surprised he only got 2 years in jail. He freaking drugged someone into a state of unconsciousness so he could jerk off! Maybe it’s because I’m an anesthesiologist, but this part angered me the most: taking advantage of someone in their more absolute vulnerable state. Hope he never gets near the health profession again…

Click to expand...

Agreed. I wasn't sure if my response was too callous since I'm not in EM. I have heard he was highly respected in academia (obviously prior to this event)

How should he recover from this? He would be doing us all a favor by killing himself. A true disgrace to the profession of medicine.

[MrsIMDoc]

Jim, while I may not know you personally, your website and book have substantially improved my financial life and positively impacted my marriage.  I have the most respect for you and what you have done for the physician financial world.  I go out of my way to recommend your website and book to every trainee and physician I meet. I am saying this to preface my next comment and to hopefully not get kicked off this forum...

This post is actually offensive, especially to victims of sexual assault and women in general.  We are talking about a criminal sexual predator who admitted guilt, therefore is not falsely accused, with multiple patients.  Comments like, "Where do you go from here? He’s intelligent, talented, and reasonably young. What kind of work can you do when even a minimal Google background check is going to pull this up?"  are irrelevant.  This is not an example of "locker room talk" or bad judgement.  This is a person who sexually assaulted another in a trusted physician relationship.   Other people go to prison for even longer for less heinous crimes (white collar tax fraud or drug crimes).

While I know this is not a "feminist website" by any means, I think this is an example of supporting rape culture.  Rather than denouncing the criminal, and looking for a way to support victims, and thinking about how we as a group of physicians can prevent this tragedy from occurring again, we are questioning what happens to him after he gets out of prison early because he was "an intelligent and talented man". If he does write a book every last penny should go to a victims fund for counseling.

This is an entirely different scenario then a physician being falsely accused of sexual assault. To insure against that always bring a chaperone for any sensitive exam.  You cannot insure against criminal behavior.