He must look old for his age. Otherwise it’s almost inexplicable how a 22-year-old Oregon man was able to convince multiple patients that he was a physician, when he has no medical training. The fake physician went so far as to dispense medications and even to perform minor surgeries on at least three of them, reports UPI.

Through a combination of referrals from an accomplice and making house calls, Scott Hanson was able to get away with this for almost eight months, authorities say.

Maybe the next time you go to see a new physician, in addition to getting a physician’s referral, perhaps you should ask to see their diploma if it is not already hanging on the wall.

Summer Johnson, PhD