This blog is not financially driven. I put it up in 2016 to build a community and learn from those interested in answering big questions in healthcare career planning.
Regardless, beginning December 1, 2009, the FTC requires bloggers to disclose whenever there could be hidden interests or unspoken biases related to recommendations.
As I routinely look to Tim Ferris to find the most efficient way to tackle anything, I have (with implied permission) taken his disclosure policy and edited to apply to myself.
First, the obvious: I am a medical student and not a doctor. However, I interview doctors on my podcast and anything I or my guests say should not be taken as medical advice. All personal medical decisions made on the basis of information acquired on The Undifferentiated Medical Student should be discussed in full with your own physician. Similarly, I am not a professional medical career advisor, and any career decisions made on the basis of information acquired on The Undifferentiated Medical Student should be discussed with the appropriate professional. Lastly, the opinions I express are my own and not that of any organization to which I may belong. The same applies for the physicians whom I interview, whose opinions are not necessarily ones I endorse either.
Second, the less obvious: Per the FTC rules, if I interview someone and they grab the bill for lunch, I would need to disclose this. Ditto if I use an Amazon link that gets me 8 cents instead of an Amazon link that gets me 0 cents. If someone gives me a comfy t-shirt with a logo and I wear it in a photo, same deal. Disclaimers all over the place. This would be tedious for me and even more tedious for readers. But rules are rules. To cover myself and preserve your reading and listening experience, please assume that, for every link and product I use, the following all hold true (again, taken from Tim Ferriss’ website):
Please feel free to use the text and images on this page with proper attribution. There is no reason why each blogger should have to reinvent the wheel.
(Illustrations courtesy of Louis Gray and Jeannine Schafer)