It is with great sadness that I have decided to close down the Placebo Journal. I write this with tears in my eyes. The Placebo Journal has been my baby for the past ten years and it has been a long road since being thrown out in Atlanta at the AAFP Scientific Assembly in 2001. When I first started it, I wanted to put out a publication like no other. I wanted to push the envelope and make fun of the hypocrisy and lunacy that goes on with this job. I am proud to say that I did that. I can also say now that I never really ran out of ideas to keep it going because there were too many idiots involved in our profession (who shouldn’t be). What I did run out of, however, was money.
This has been a very tough decision for me but one that had to be made. I tried an austerity budget to squeeze out some more time but the “online” readers for the digital edition never appeared. It is what it is and I make no excuses.
For those that feel ripped off, I sincerely apologize. The only way to make this up to you newbies is to put online twelve of the best of our old issues over these past ten years. You will find them in the same section where you clicked to get onto this issue. You also have a free “story of the day” that will continue to roll on the web site for free. Again, I am sorry.
I am very proud of the concept and execution of delivering the Placebo Journal over the past decade. I have endured a lot of attacks during that time but it also opened up a lot of opportunities. Heck, I almost got a television show out of the deal! But it was all not meant to be.
I want to thank you fellow Placebians for believing in the cause. You loyal followers kept me going and kept me inspired for all these years. It was great being your King of Medicine.
My future is in flux at this time. I will continue to blog at the same Placebo Journal Blog (which is now called Authentic Medicine Blog) because I do think someone needs to continue to poke the bear. I will continue to keep up www.placebojournal.com for a while longer in order give those recent subscribers some value for their subscription (see above). I will try to answer any emails you send me unless you decide to shred me and use me for target practice. But that being said, going online today is our final issue of the Placebo Journal and for that I am very sad and very grateful.
Before I go, please remember to keep smiling, keep laughing and keep out of the sample closet.
Sincerely,
Douglas Farrago MD (formerly the King of Medicine)
P.S. Now if someone wanted to drop a few million bucks on the resurrecting this son-of-a-bitch in print form then all bets are off.
P.S.S. I’m kidding.
P.S.S.S. Maybe.
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9 comments:
I have followed you from the beginning. Thanks for all you have done. You have brought smiles to many faces and at the same time have managed to confront some of the real problems in medicine today.
Thanks again.
I second Dr. Wally, only wishing I had found you sooner--but glad to have bought a whole bunch of back issues a few months back
Will you still be available for speaking engagements?
And thanks for the laughs on days when there weren't many to be found in clinic
Chris
So sorry to hear about this painful fork in the road for you. But I'm glad to know you're continuing with the blog.
Of all the absolute gems you have published over the years, my absolute FAVORITE was in the very first issue: the infamous case study on " SLS ."
Fellow readers, if you are not familiar with this masterpiece, download it and read it again and again. Every year I share it with med students, and every single clinician has dealt with this troubling disease. Read it, love it, never stop laughing. Farewell and Godspeed PJ, thanks for the all the smiles.
Doug, You are an amazing guy. You made(make) us laugh , laugh at ourselves, laugh at what we do in the name of science, ethics and conformity. Why can't you at least stay around and entertain us until Medicine as we know it finally ends in 2014? I hope this "last-issue thing..." is a joke. Do keep in touch with us.
How about making a photo of that inimitable face of the king for wall hangings? ..Like the Alfie Newman of medicine.
Narayanachar S. Murali, MD, FACP, FACG
Doug,
So sorry to see the Journal go. It is the only medical journal I look forward to reading cover to cover. Thanks for bringing a little humor to a profession that is too often oblivious to its shortcomings. All hail the King!
This must be difficult. Placebo Journal will be sorely missed. I looked forward to it every month and enjoyed them thoroughly. Do keep us all posted on what's to come for you! Thank you so much.
Sir Vicks says "So long ol buddy, I will miss you" Especially since I had a lifetime subscription. I thought that referred to MY lifetime, not PJ's.
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