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I could not find anything that stated either way..it doesn't specify if they are private practice or in a hospital. But it was the best table I could find..
The problem is a lack of general practitioners, not specialists and surgeons. The free market system isn't really rewarding people who go into general practice, this is where the unmet needs are.
The amount of doctors, specifically surgeons are dropping. Clinton and Obama are stating they will mandate health care for all. Congress had to postpone the medicare reimbursement cut for 6 months because doctors are in a rage.
.. What the hell is the US medical world coming to?
Personally, I think we need to stop modeling a nation health care after a failing Swedish and Canadian health care system. Their countries have far less people. Sweden has 1/30th of the US's population, and Canada has 1/10th. How the hell are we going to have a productive system when it can't even work on a much lesser scale? (Of course, excluding all the other factors that make the socialist systems fail).
And, We need to do something about med students. Instead of having the Indians and whatever people come from their Asian country, learn at our schools, and then go back home.. They should have to work in American hospitals for a good 3-5 years (maybe even more) before they can return.
What are your opinions?
A lot of those "socialized medicine" countries have more doctors per capita than the US.
A lot of those "socialized medicine" countries have more doctors per capita than the US.
I believe that.
However, like a few posts above. There are only ten good doctors, and they are located in New York and California. It's hard to get good health care as it is now. And, If healthcare became free.. Do you know how busy these doctors would be know that everyone can go there? It's just not logical.
And, besides. I doubt the US would be able to afford all the bills from 300 million people. And, they'll wind up paying the doctors less. Hence, the doctors will just drop serving nationalized health care patients.
It happened already with Medicare. The US wanted to drop 10%, and many doctors complained and said they would drop serving medicare patients. In return, the congress postponed that 6 more months. In 6 months, they're either going to need to postpone it again, or medicare patients will be out many doctors.
The problem is a lack of general practitioners, not specialists and surgeons. The free market system isn't really rewarding people who go into general practice, this is where the unmet needs are.
That's why now we have Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to ease some of the burden in general medicine, especially in rural/small town areas. If you go to any walk-in little clinics in supermarkets, you'll realize that they're generally run by Nurse Practitioners, who can diagnose and are allowed to write prescriptions too.
I would consider $200k a year as a very good salary if I were a surgeon and all my education bills; office expenses and insurance were paid by a nationalized health care system. I would expect that, providing the unofficial quota on medical training was lifted, so would a lot of other people. If, in addition, there was a plan to compensate for accidental injuries inherent in surgery, chemo, radiation and other complex procedures in place, this barrier to practice would be eliminated. The result would be plenty of doctors at affordable prices.
What would be missing would be overcharging university medical schools, usurious education loan sharks and a bloated malpractice insurance system.
In Germany, students graduating from high school can enter into a medical training program immediately, becoming doctors after six or seven years of education and testing. The education is entirely free.
All of the above concerns are valid. Another very scary concern is the lower quality doctors who will be coming out of the med schools if health care becomes nationalized. It will be just another drudge job to them. And am already seeing it. Medicine now is just "business", get 'em in and out in 5 minutes, cattle prod approach, the numbers game. It is a travesty, and not going to get better from what I can see.
You're right: medicine is a business. Insurance companies are in business to make money. Profit is the driver, not health.
The cattle prod approach that you mention has been taking place for a while now and we do not have a nationalized system. Insurance companies are partly to blame for that approach.
I'm not a proponent of "nationalized" medicine as it is commonly visualized by folks in this country because it does nothing to promote patients education and patients' responsibilities for their own health.
However, I do not buy into the notion that a "nationalized" system is going to lower the quality of med school graduates. Medical schools have standards for admissions, course completion and graduation. Medical examination boards have standards as well.
Beware of physicians who went into the profession "for the money". They are competent because they met the standards, but they are likely to be less caring. I know a couple of cardiologists that I would not see under any circumstances because they're in it for the money.
I still adhere to that old saying..."I don't care how much you know unless I know how much you care".
However, I do not buy into the notion that a "nationalized" system is going to lower the quality of med school graduates. Medical schools have standards for admissions, course completion and graduation. Medical examination boards have standards as well.
While the medical student may be more competent than average, people need to be aware that one can graduate medical school and finish residency these days with MINIMAL COMPETENCE. Lots of idiots become doctors and lots of then go into primary care because they tend to be the residencies that are not as difficult to match in.
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