A Clinton, Maryland neurosurgeon, who knows Dr. Benjamin S. Carson Sr., and has worked with him, spoke to Human Events about his fellow neurosurgeon, who is regularly polling as one of the top contenders for the GOP nomination for president.
???In working with Dr. Carson and discussing him with other doctors who have worked directly with him in caring for patients, it???s clear he is among the most respected and trusted physicians in the country,??? said Dr. Stuart J. Goodman, who has served as the president of The Southern Medical Association since November.
Beyond his skill as a surgeon, it is his character that defines Carson, he said. Carson retired from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. ???His peers view him as a caring and compassionate individual who is capable of making tough decisions, communicating with patients and colleagues,??? he said. ???Most importantly, he is a man of his word, who thinks clearly and acts decisively ??? important qualities for any physician or any president.???
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Dr. Stuart J. Goodman (Courtesy)[/caption]
Goodman, who practices in affiliation with the MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, where he leads both the facility???s Stroke Center and the Neurology Division, said the movement to draft Carson as a presidential candidate is not a passing fancy, as shown by the more $8 million it raised last year. It is more than was raised by the movement to draft Hillary R. Clinton, the former secretary of state, he said.
In the Sept. 26 Value Voters Summit straw poll, conducted by the Washington-based Family Research Council, the summit???s organizer, Carson finished second to Sen. E. Raphael ???Ted??? Cruz (R.-Texas) in the presidential poll, 25 percent to 20 percent. But, the surgeon beat Cruz 22 percent to 16 percent in the vice presidential preference. Goodman, who has been practicing medicine for 37 years, said despite the grassroots support for Carson and the money raised, so far, the GOP establishment continues to downplay Carson???s chances to win.
???Political insiders are already pointing to his background as a neurosurgeon in an attempt to disqualify him from office. In fact, a physician like Dr. Carson is exactly the kind of politician America needs right now,??? he said. ???As a neurosurgeon, Carson has had to make immediate and frequently very tough decisions under stress in potentially life-threatening situations,??? he said.
???He has shown the capacity to be decisive. As a department chairman he was also involved in the business side of medicine,??? said the Auburn University MBA holder.
???As a fellow physician, I can attest to the fact that medicine at times seems to be more about running a business than providing medical care,??? he said. ???Carson did both very effectively, running a financially efficient and effective unit consisting of not only physicians, but nursing, secretarial staff and others. He had to have and did have a cohesive team working together for a common goal.???
Carson???s leadership was done as he continued to be recognized as the best neurosurgeon in the world, Goodman said. ???In today???s political landscape, it???s next to impossible to find a leader driven not by political ambitions, but by the desire to see this country reach its true potential,??? he said. ???From very humble beginnings, Carson recognized the greatness and capacity of this country,??? he said.
???Raised in poverty in Detroit to eventually become the director of the Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgery unity, he knows what hard work, dedication and caring can do for individuals and communities.??? Carson possesses the leadership skills necessary to execute the office of President of the United States, he said. ???His own background, his critical decision-making skills, and his compassion for the sick and hurting make him a great candidate for president.???
Unlike so many who will eventually enter the race for president, Carson has experienced the value of hard work, possess the intricate skills of a world-class neurosurgeon and the caring heart of a physician who longs to see his patients healthy and prosperous, he said.
???Those characteristics will transfer well to the office of president.???
