Comments on: Who cares about the doctors?

By: Ben Cameron

Ben Cameron — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:18:57 +0000

Thank you. I am a medical student, and it is gratifying to see someone looking at the issue from a physician’s perspective. Doctors put YEARS of work into their education, and a small fortune. Years which involve intense labor, sacrifices, and poverty too. I do this so I can make a career doing something Im talented at, something I love. And after the years of labor, we have something to look forward to. But it seems like the nation doesn’t understand the sacrifices that have already been made by physicians to achieve their education. High regard, respect from the community, and fair financial compensation were, in the past, the fruits of this labor. But as you have said, what does the future hold now? After spending over a decade as a self-made slave to ones education, will he then be forced into serfdom by the government?

By: Adam Ali

Adam Ali — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:17:38 +0000

Look at this link. Human beings still exist in the medical profession.

http://rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/1110/10851562/Florida_doctors_sign_warns_away_Obama_supporters

Happy Easter!

By: David May MD, PhD

David May MD, PhD — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:15:05 +0000

Thank you for your thoughtful and accurate comments. The physicians are long suffering, able to delay gratification thru years of training and consequently, as you have correctly noted, tend to stand quietly while this debacle takes place. We have been marginalized and rendered insignificant in the discussion of the fate of our patients.

By: Cloud

Cloud — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:26:37 +0000

http://www.doctorsvote.com

By: Angela Richter

Angela Richter — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:11:29 +0000

We expect a lot from our health care professionals these days. We joke about doctors and their god-like stature in the eyes of society, but we do expect them to have the power of God and extend our lives so that we may never die and perhaps get the progressive agenda loved by everyone… if it goes on long enough, who knows?

My point is, they go to college for 4 years, another 4 years spent in med school, numerous years in residency and many more spent in fellowships if they specialize. That costs a lot of money. That is more than 12 years, in most cases, spent in learning, which costs money. Why do we expect them to save our lives for free once they are free from education and ready to open a practice?

That mindset is more boggling to me than trying to figure out why the politicos in DC think we can do Universal Healthcare here.

By: Denis Hadjiliadis

Denis Hadjiliadis — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:15:13 +0000

You are right that physicians are never consulted enough, but this will be the first time that physicians will have some choice instead of the insurance companies

By: Jenia Jenab-Wolcott

Jenia Jenab-Wolcott — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:36:21 +0000

As I watched the news on Monday morning March 22nd that the House of Representatives has passed the Health Care bill, I found myself asking the questions “do I want to practice medicine under these circumstances”. Similar to many of my colleagues I have spent over 20 years of my adult life training to become a physician. For me it has been a particularly long process as I chose to do a combined physician-scientist training program, which added an additional 5 years to my education. I am finally completing my fellowship training and I am in late 30’s.

I always thought that after all this I would have many job opportunities open to me. However, I have been astounded by the tight job market and the difficulty I face in finding a suitable job. I hear similar stories from many of my colleagues in various medical subspecialties (hematology/oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, anesthesia…) in their job search. Everyone is fearful of the uncertainly in medicine and employers are reluctant to commit. I am saddened by daily news around the country of failing private practices, physicians layoffs/pay-cuts, hiring freezes in academic and private institutions, physicians not financially affording to retire, continued cut backs in Medicare and other insurance reimbursements, patients delaying critical medical care such as getting chemotherapy, and fear of both physicians and patients of what is to come. Along the many years of my training people told me to expect delayed gratification. Is this what they meant? Is this what I have to look forward to? Now I ask myself, should I continue with a career in medicine or should I be “wise” and consider an alternative career. As immigrants, my family and I fled our country and came to the United Sates nearly 30 years ago in the hops of a better future. Both my sister and I put our selves through Ivy League institutions with a great deal of hard work and personal sacrifice. So as I come to the end of the arduous journey of medical training, for me there is a personal sense of failure as I consider hanging-up my stethoscope once and for all.

(I would not mind my comments posted but I do not want my name identified) Thank you.

By: Charles Bennett

Charles Bennett — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:42:02 +0000

Very good points and something that is rarely covered in the news. My wife did a mid-life career change from power systems engineer to doctor. (ER) It was a family decision. We put our own savings and investments on the line to bet on her ability to take our family to the next level of success in America. We did this willingly, as free people intending to enjoy the fruits of out labors. When I look back at the amount of time, sacrifice and work it took to from all of us, most of all my wife, to get to this point, the actions of the Obama administration is breathtaking in it’s sense of entitlement to her labor and it’s arrogance in assuming that the doctors will go along.

Most doctors already willingly donate their time, money and labor to treat the poor. When it is no longer their decision where to apply their labor, then we have lost the country.

By: John Phillips

John Phillips — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 09:13:06 +0000

Finally someone on the doctor’s side! Good work. I don’t remember the arguments for the mandated emergency room at hospitals, but I can’t imagine a hospital refusing to help someone who would die without it, which had to have been the argument.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:00:59 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by aynrandadvocate: ARC: Who cares about the doctors?: Amid the clamorous debate over health care, how much have you heard from the do… http://bit.ly/cCvNsP...