Everyone has an opinion. There is no "opinionectomy." I looked for the CPT code, and it doesn't exist. Opinions are not vestigial organs. They are acquired by real-life experiences, good and bad.

Over the years, I have heard my colleagues share their opinions freely and openly in doctors' lounges. Even though my opinion of their opinions has varied widely, I have always listened and frequently admitted that I was impressed by the thoughts expressed.

Now I want you--members and nonmembers--to share your opinions with the rest of us. The Ventura County Medical Association and Southern California Physician are offering a forum for expressing yourself. Stir up some debate. Right some wrong. Tell us you are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.

Put pen to paper (an archaic concept, but still effective) or make that computer sing. It would be nice to support your opinion with facts or the firsthand experience that brought you to your position. Keep the #*!Q*!'s to a minimum and run the spell checker (although I frequently click on "Ignore").

Your new VCMA president, Mark Ghilarducci, MD, would like to hear from you. Mary Carr, our exceptional executive director, is glad to help you translate your opinion from thought into print. Send an e-mail to Mary at marycarr@venturamedical.org or call 805/484-6822. Snail mail still works, too.

Year 2006 is still bright, shiny and new. We are looking to you, our readers and colleagues, to help us overcome old problems with new ideas. We have a vast array of challenges, from decreasing reimbursement, rising costs, mounting social problems, potential epidemics, and the interference of state and federal governments. How would and should we measure the quality of a physician's practice? How fast should we go "all electronic?" Can anyone explain Medicare Part D? Are you involved in new ventures or positive actions being taken locally to promote medicine or access to care? Would colleagues benefit from your insight on a particular social or cultural issue?

We would love to have so many articles and letters that we have to pick the best to print. So let's give it a go--let us know. Write 'em if you got 'em.

Max Stearns, MD, is editor for Ventura County Medical Association and on the advisory board for Southern California Physician. He practices urology in Oxnard and can be reached at 805/983-0358.