Now you know why the medical symbol contains a snake…

NEW YORK — A Bronx doctor who began performing oral sex on a patient while examining his genitals, pleaded guilty Thursday to sexual misconduct, prosecutors said.

As part of a plea agreement, Brian Shaw, 42, of Wilton, Conn., will be sentenced to six years probation and is required to register as a sex offender, said Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson. Sentencing was set for Feb. 2, 2005.

Shaw also surrendered his medical license to the New York State Health Department.

The patient, a 49-year-old truck driver, had gone to the Throggs Neck Urgent Medical Care facility on Dec. 9, 2003, because of a rash on his chest and legs.

During the examination, Shaw began to examine the man’s testicles and then performed oral sex on him against his will, Johnson said.

Shaw, a 1993 graduate of Eastern Virginia Medical School, was acquitted of a similar crime in 2002.