Those of you with well-functioning neuronal synapses will remember my prior journal entry, Why we DON'T need more Allergists. Frankly, who could forget it?  But wait!  Somewhere out there, in that vast stagnant wilderness of bureaucratic allergy with monocognition, a similar voice to mine cries out. No, I'm not kidding.  Scarey, right?  And this guy takes off the gloves and kicks some serious butt when he takes on the big allergy establishment over "why we don't need more allergists.   Let's see what Dr. Rodney M. Mann MD of Lexington Kentucky says in a Letter to the Editor in the latest Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Nov. 2007: the following are excerpts--

It was with bittersweet amusement that I read the "Allergist Report:  America Faces an Allergy/Asthma crisis," dated April 2007.  The report makes a number of unsubstantiated statements in an attempt to persuade that a critical shortage of practicing allergists is eminent....I am troubled by the committee's obliviousness to real-life factors, such as primary care physicians' reluctance to refer to specialists, (as well as)  otolarynologists, pulmonologists, primary care physicians, chiropracters, and alternative medicine practitioners practicing allergy...it should not be forgotten that most patients with allergic disease and asthma never see an allergist.  Also, training more allergists will do nothing to encourage the new allergists to seek out underserved areas, typically rural and undesirable, to practice in.  I believe it is shortsighted and irresponsible to encourage more training program slots in a specialty that is underused..."

So Rodney, this Bud's for you...and you have given the Angry Allergist the inspiration for a new award that will be given by me to original-thinking Allergists.  Allergists who don't go with the crowd.  Allergists who aren't, as our California Governor put it, "girlie-men".  Allergists who don't follow the herd--they shoot the herd...Allergists who aren't afraid to strip to the waist, put on a headband, pick up a fifty-caliber and let the Allergy establishment have it...you guessed right...

The Angry Allergist Rambo Award.  For Allergists.  Allergists who can kick ass. 

And when Rod called the committee "shortsighted and iresponsible" , "oblivious to real-life factors" he just grabbed, without realizing it, The First Rambo Award.  The first, I hope, of many more to come....

Congratulations, Rod.  Enjoy your award.  Then, let's lock 'n load, buddy; we've got work to do...  

Later, Dude 

P.S.  Female allergists will have their OWN award.  Coming soon to a browser near you...