The Wiki education

Okay, so I know that pretty much everyone uses the internet for a information souce. I myself even use google search engine to find scientific articles, but openly moderated encyclopedias probably are not the best information source, although convenient one has to question the accuracy of such information. Peer-reviewed scholarly articles even hold bias in them, so I can only imagine what wiki holds. The reason I have a bone to pick about open source encyclopedias such as wikipedia is while at work the other day (I work at a specality hospital). I witnessed two physicians (I assume, maybe medical students/residents) using wikipedia to learn more about the problems one of the patients was having. I was rather appalling, yet sickly funny. The specialists who are typically highly paid were using such a source to diagonse, treat, etc... a medical issue/condition. Maybe they also use webMD, I mean it must be so since it is a MD web site and has medically related materials.
I think that wikipedia is going to have to put a disclaimer on their site that says :"the information contained herein is not intended to diagonse, treat or cure any ailements".
Now don't get me wrong. I believe in doctors and their abalities and skills. Haven't you all seen House M.D. on Fox? Seriously though. I have grown up around doctors and in hospitals (Check out the link for Utah CF blog). I certainly appericate and respect a majority of the doctors that I know and many that I dont. I just do not think that wikipedia is a place such "professionals" should be garnishing their information from. Maybe I am just an old timer, with my 24 years of experience but at least if wikipedia is going to be used for medical education they should at least get some of the tuition money those medical students are paying.


Please note that the above photo is probably copyrighted and you can check out the site at www.wikipedia.com