A Comment on Posing in Medicine

To pose is defined as to place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect, and the poseur as a person who inauthentically adopts a certain attitude playing a role, a fake, or an imposter. To cover their incompetence, physicians in the past had to strike a pose. The posing of today's physician has become rather that of self-performance and for commercial purposes, particularly in cosmetic medicine. Because of the elective nature and the high out-of-pocket costs of the cosmetic procedures and products, the image particularly of cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists has changed from the traditional role of doctor into one of a business person who will promote unnecessary interventions among consumers and peers. "Bluffing, puffing, and spinning" are accepted marketing practices for businesses. Selfie culture has emerged as a natural result of the development of smartphones and social media. Mannerisms and instruments of pose in medicine have been the stethoscope, dermatoscope, FotoFinder^® handpiece, microscope, syringe, human skull, and during the pandemic, undergoing COVID-19 vaccination, usually as selfie placed on Instagram or Facebook. Selfie culture has far-reaching implications for society as a whole. It has altered our understanding of privacy, blurring the line between public and private spaces, and breaking taboos in public, such as sexuality, religion, and private health issues. The World Medical Association has developed the International Code of Medical Ethics as a canon of ethical principles for the members of the medical profession worldwide defining the professional duties of physicians toward patients, other physicians and health professionals, and society as a whole. The primary duty of the physician is to promote the health and well-being of individual patients by providing competent, timely, and compassionate care in accordance with good medical practice and professionalism. The physician must always exercise independent professional judgment while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct. The physician must refrain from intrusive or otherwise inappropriate advertising and marketing. The lure of money and celebrity cannot blind dermatologists to the limits of what they can do.