The December 11 announcement of Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company's prestigious award to Ronald Dubner ("Ex-Dentist Cited For Pain Research," The Scientist, Dec. 11, 1989, page 22) was certainly good news. The bad news is the blatant prejudice implied by the title of your article. Like it or not, Dubner is a dentist. If the editor wished to convey that Dubner is a nonpracticing dentist, that is one thing. I have never seen the term "nonpracticing physician" applied to my many colleagues who are physicians, but devote their full energies to research endeavors.
- LAWRENCE A. TABAK
- Departments of Dental Research and Biochemistry
- University of Rochester
- Medical Center
- Rochester, N.Y.
Interested in reading more?
Become a Member of
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!