Obama Hires Mystery Shoppers to Spy on Doctors...What next?

@Foofie,

Foofie wrote:

Big deal that a specialist never read certain "classic" novels in high school, if he/she was busy taking an advanced course in biology instead?

Just a few comments today. First of all pre-meds are required to take a one year course in organic chemistry, in part because of the MCAT and in part because, organic chemistry is a requirement for biochemistry.

Advanced biology? Most of the better American medical schools want their students to have strong majors in the humanities and less emphasis on the sciences. As a matter of fact, at least one American medical school has now abolished the MCAT as a requirement for admission and this particular school welcomes humanities majors with open arms.

Of all the medical school crourses taught in the first 2 years, in my opinion the most important are gross anatomy, physiology and pathology. All of the other fundamental courses: microbiology, cell biology, biochemistry, etc are usually taught in the undergraduate college curriculum and have no real need in med school. And are often taught as Summer courses for undergraduates.

One additional course taught in medical scool during years 1+2 is pharmacology, offered over a one quarter time period. Since pharmacy students take one year of pharmacology and one year of medicinal chemistry, I personlly wonder if med students really need such an intense pharmacology course. MDs usually run around with small drug notebooks. And of course hospital pharmacists are always on-call.

1 Reply

Quote:

=> revelette insists on quibbling over his rather unique interpretation of otherwise clear and plain words. (1) We did have a shortage of doctors that predated the Obamacare legislation. (2) The legislation promised to significantly increase demand for health care without doing anything to improve either the supply or ther productivity of the caregivers - thereby exacerbating the shortage. (3) Worse, parallel actions to reduce the reimbursement rtates for Medicare & Medicaid (in order to create the illusion that the "new" system would be cheaper), and the flood of chickenshit regulations associated with the new law, are driving existing practitioners out of the market, further worsening an already bad situation

First off, I am she.

Second, your words are anything but clear and plain.

Third I know we had a shortage of medical doctors which predated the affordable health care act. I was the one who pointed it out to you.

Fourth, most of what you speak of the regulations haven't been enacted yet so they can't really be a big cause of the shortage of doctors we are experiencing now. You just want to beat your own particular beef.

Apparently people became aware of this problem when (they may been aware of it before then) when Massachusetts expanded health care back in 2006. (you know under the republican leading presidential candidate, Romney)

Quote:

The Cause
In 1980, the medical-education community foresaw an oversupply of doctors, says Edward Salsberg, director of the Center for Workforce Studies at the Association of American Medical Colleges, a nonprofit group of medical schools, teaching hospitals and academic societies.

A cap on medical-school enrollment was instituted to control supply, but in the years since, population growth has outpaced the number of newly trained physicians. A recent survey of 12,000 doctors conducted by the Physicians' Foundation, a grant-making organization, found that nearly half of respondents plan to reduce their patient load or stop practicing in the next three years.

The organization claims this percentage correlates to 150,000 physicians nationwide.

This is particularly troubling given that the number of baby boomers--many of whom visit the doctor six to seven times a year, compared with two to four annual visits for those under 65--will double from 35 million to 71 million by 2030.

The AAMC currently projects a shortage of 124,000 physicians by 2025; current capacity would produce only 50,000 by that year.

source

1 Reply

@revelette,

Quote:

In 1980, the medical-education community foresaw an oversupply of doctors, says Edward Salsberg

What this means is there would be an "oversupply" of physicians relative to the number of residency positions throughout the USA.

0 Replies

@Miller,

My point is simple. Revamp the system whereby future doctors focus on their field early in their high school education. In my opinion, the U.S. should stop expanding the period of adolescence, and get young people trained into his/her ultimate function in society earlier.

3 Replies

@Foofie,

I never thought of it in terms of 'expanding the period of adolescence', but that could be what we're doing. It is likely that anyone bright enough to be on the doctor (or lawyer) track is capable of acquiring a pretty decent liberal arts education in high school.

0 Replies

@Miller,

Miller wrote:

Obama has now decided that now is not the right time to engage" mystery shoppers".

It was of interest that the study was to be under the direction of the University of Chicago. As you may recall, Ms Obama was a VP at U of C prior to Mr. Obama becoming President.

Do you have another college in mind that you believe is better qualified? Do you feel that the U of C is incapable? What is this? A criticism or a thinly veiled suggestion of a conspiracy that we're supposed to fill in the blanks.

Of course, from the other end, if the U of C is well qualified to do such a survey, it would be stupid to not use them because someone somewhere might have a pseudo-conspiracy about Obama's connection to the school.

What if it had been Harvard? Obama went there. Dun Dunn DUNNNNNN!

A
R
T

1 Reply

@Foofie,

Foofie wrote:

My point is simple. Revamp the system whereby future doctors focus on their field early in their high school education. In my opinion, the U.S. should stop expanding the period of adolescence, and get young people trained into his/her ultimate function in society earlier.

I don't think this is a bad idea, but I'd add that there is something to still be said for a general education. I'd amend your statement adding that basic trade skill be re-introduced into earlier academic curriculum. This would benefit all areas of science, medicine, (I'd add web development as well) and provide skilled workers.

I digress.

A
R
T

0 Replies

@failures art,

failures art wrote:

What if it had been Harvard? Obama went there. Dun Dunn DUNNNNNN!

Well, it should have been Harvard, but Ms Obama was not a VP at the School.

0 Replies

@Foofie,

Foofie wrote:

My point is simple. Revamp the system whereby future doctors focus on their field early in their high school education. In my opinion, the U.S. should stop expanding the period of adolescence, and get young people trained into his/her ultimate function in society earlier.

No kid "knows" what he wants to do with his life at age 13 years. If they did, we wouldn't have so many unemployed 27 year old at home living with Ma and Pa.

1 Reply

@Miller,

Miller wrote:

Foofie wrote:

My point is simple. Revamp the system whereby future doctors focus on their field early in their high school education. In my opinion, the U.S. should stop expanding the period of adolescence, and get young people trained into his/her ultimate function in society earlier.

No kid "knows" what he wants to do with his life at age 13 years. If they did, we wouldn't have so many unemployed 27 year old at home living with Ma and Pa.

At thirteen one is Bar Mitzvahed or Bat Mitzvahed. I was then old enough to know I would not fast on Yom Kippur, and told my mother the sin (of eating on the holiday) was now on my head. If I had to choose a livelihood at thirteen, I knew it would not be a Rabbi.

0 Replies

@Miller,

This is the reason why we have less doctors that have all cridentials work under other physicians. Most are scared to be penalized on top of the audits and extra taxes. The government is making it impossible for Doctors to start thier own practice. Less practices = less physicans for people with government insurance = more people that pass away from diseases that could have been prevented.

1 Reply

@Vee23,

Very true. The medical profession is not respected as much as it once was.

1 Reply

@Miller,

In my opinion, being a doctor or nurse, was once a "calling." Today it might be a hoped for career, with accompanying financial rewards and position in society, for a portion of those in the field. I personally do not have the same attitude for the profession, since a particular doctor could be a source of a new medication being dispensed (with its attendant side effects). I am old enough to remember when doctors gave the impression that their annual salary was a non-sequitor to the main activity of getting the sick to be made healthy.

1 Reply

@Foofie,

These are very different times, I'm afraid.

0 Replies

@Foofie,

A thought on that: those who graduate with degrees in teaching and agree to work in an undeserved part of the country for so many years can get part of their education loans forgiven. How about something like that for doctors/nurses? I like the idea of the loan repayment being nullified instead of more scholarship money as so many students drop out before completing a degree.

1 Reply

@InsuranceLady,

Do you know now many Doctors don't pay any of their loans? Do you think that taxpapers show forgive those who don't pay their loans?

I don't.

1 Reply

@Miller,

I can't say that I know any doctors, period. I was only suggesting that loan forgiveness could be a great way to funnel professionals into under served populations. They may be able to pay the bill, but everyone likes a break. Not everyone would take advantage of the program; I have the option with my teaching degree and did not take it. I believe the good such a program could do outweighs the negative.

0 Replies

Obama Hires Mystery Shoppers to Spy on Doctors...What next?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know