Coming soon to YouTube: My face-lift

New York Times, June 26, 2008

Doctors have long recruited patients to help advertise, but it has remained an open question as to whether doctors pay or remunerate those smiling patients in violation of the rules of many physician associations. But it's now clear that doctors openly offer "thank you" rebates and discounts to patients who post videos of their breast augmentations, bright white teeth or nose jobs. Most payments or freebies to post on video-sharing sites are modest, but they have raised concerns among medical ethicists and consumer advocates.