Operation: Top Doctors

IT’S A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO—right after a previous Top Doctors issue of San Diego Magazine has been unveiled—and I find myself sitting in my doctor’s examination room. I’m not thinking about magazine business—just about getting a cure for whatever toxin is ailing me.

My doctor steps into the room. He shakes my hand. After some doctorial small talk, he mentions San Diego Magazine. And that he’s seen the Top Doctors list. I feel a quick panic. Is he about to excoriate me because he isn’t on the list? If he isn’t on the list, will he put his stethoscope in the freezer before using it on me? Will he refuse me a prescription and tell me to go home and sweat it out?

Turns out he is on the list. He thanks me, and asks if his inclusion was any of my doing. Hmmm—I wonder if I should take credit, and maybe get an free vial of cure for the effort.

I answer truthfully. Our annual list of best doctors is determined by a poll of other doctors. The San Diego County Medical Society does the polling. More than 2,300 ballots are mailed out; roughly one-third are returned. We stand behind the SDCMS’ methodology. And we agree with society president Ted Mazer—this list should be used as a guide to picking the right doctor for you. Not as a bible of the only good doctors in town.

AFTER PERUSING the Best Docs package—and presumably, scheduling a checkup—check out the rest of our issue. We sent associate editor Julia Beeson out to the Anza-Borrego Desert. No, we weren’t punishing her for missing a deadline. The desert has a story to tell—and Beeson found it in a state park, a research institute and some pretty nice hotel digs.

The indomitable Cathy Clark writes this month about local filmmakers with “Screen Dreams.” She found some budding talents with small budgets and big hopes. First-time contributor Nancy Cary chronicles the not-so-glamorous life of a local crime scene investigator. CSI: San Diego this is not. And don’t miss our latest installment of our magazine-within-a-magazine, San Diego at Home. Deirdre O’Shea and Tom Shess present the latest trends and treasures in home design. And there’s so much more.

Take two issues and call us in the morning. Enjoy!

Ron Donoho
Executive Editor

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