My Doctor Voices Conspiracy Theories. What Should I Do?

Do I report him?

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 9, 2021 Illustration by Tomi Um The Ethicist I Saw a Doctor Who Voices Conspiracy Theories. What Should I Do? The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on what to do when a doctor shares falsehoods about the origins of coronavirus and the safety of the vaccine — and more. By Kwame Anthony Appiah I recently moved to a new town and found a primary-care physician who seemed to check all the boxes, but during my initial exam, he went off on a lengthy diatribe about Bill Gates, delving deep into conspiracy theories about his being the evil mastermind behind the creation of the coronavirus and the architect of a secret sterilization program in Africa. He also revealed that although he very likely will be among the first to receive a coronavirus vaccine, he will put it in his fridge and wait until millions of others have taken it and proved that it works. The first part makes me question his intelligence, but the second strikes me as seriously irresponsible: He’s basically advising his patients not to take a vaccine. Needless to say, I will not be returning to this doctor, but I feel I should at least post comments on doctor-review sites about his behavior, if not report him to some authority. Do you have any advice? Read the Ethicist’s response here. THIS WEEK’S MAGAZINE Sharif Hamza for The New York Times The Composer Tyshawn Sorey Enters a New Phase The Newark native has long been lauded for his brilliant abstractions. Lately he’s writing about something more concrete — and producing his most powerful music yet. By Adam Shatz Jack Davison for The New York Times The Last Two Northern White Rhinos On Earth What will we lose when Najin and Fatu die? By Sam Anderson Jonno Rattman for The New York Times The Man Who Turned Credit-Card Points Into an Empire Brian Kelly, The Points Guy, has created an empire dedicated to maximizing credit-card rewards and airline miles. What are they worth in a global pandemic — and why are they worth anything at all? By Jamie Lauren Keiles Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE FROM THE MAGAZINE Photo illustration by Najeebah Al-Ghadban Screenland ‘Bollywood Wives’ Is an Accidental Documentary About India’s Gilded Class As reality TV, it’s boring. But in its unguarded moments, the show reveals universal truths about the idle rich and their need for attention. By Iva Dixit Paintings by Jean Smith Letter of Recommendation The Painter Subverting Art-World Economics, $100 at a Time Jean Smith’s paintings are haunting and beautiful — and cheap. By Nick Marino Heami Lee for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky. Eat This Chicken and Rice Is Perfect Home Cooking, With Prison Roots Earlonne Woods let his kitchen instincts guide him at San Quentin. But Samin Nosrat offered to teach him this more flavorful version. By Samin Nosrat Poem: At Night A poem that allows us to become preoccupied with our own quiet thoughts. And our grief. By Stanley Plumly and Reginald Dwayne Betts Stay in touch: Follow us on Twitter (@NYTmag) or check us out on Instagram. Appreciated this email? Forward it to a friend and help us grow. Loved a story? Hated it? Write us a letter at magazine@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here to get the magazine newsletter. Listen to narrated versions of our articles every week. Download Audm for iPhone or Android. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The New York Times Magazine from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018