Choosing your doctor
Why is there a shortage of doctors? Is it the icky stuff? Dealing with people like us?
I have heard many people mention the "large" amount of money that doctors make...I do not envy the demands upon their lives or the 8+ years it takes to get the credentials to even begin to pay off the loans required to finish school and training.
There is a severe shortage, which is getting worse, of primary care physicians. Most are getting older and I have seen statistics that as little as 2% of medical students plan on going into family medicine. Personally, I think that most front-line doctors should be paid more.
I know that I am going against all of the medical pundits on television, but here are my thoughts:
If I have to wait over an hour for my appointment, I don't care and won't complain. I have chosen my doctor because I trust him and understand that he is not dealing with parts that can simply be replaced. There are always emergencies and I would like to know that if he sees something unusual, he will not tell me my time is up after 5 minutes.
My family doctor knows my blood chemistry idiosyncrasies, the demands on my life, my insurance problems and is always aware at what point to slow down and get another opinion or tests. In addition, he has to maintain a staff to handle all insurance and coding problems, write letters and act as if he has never seen a fever before.
I believe that the reason that some people complain about and to doctors is because of their frustration with insurance confusion and the costs involved. We never get the see or talk to the people at the insurance companies, so the doctors are doomed to handle all of the complaints from patients and the excessive paperwork for insurance claims.
So, to the doctors in whom I trust; "Take your time and thanks. I would rather wait for a doctor who knows the demands on my life, my limitations on health care costs and my medical history than being prompt. I do not envy your responsibility."
Many will disagree with this thread, but I am hoping that my doctor does not retire until I am long gone. Training a new one can be even more time consuming and that is something upon which I do not want to waste my time.
The Virtual Patient
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I have heard many people mention the "large" amount of money that doctors make...I do not envy the demands upon their lives or the 8+ years it takes to get the credentials to even begin to pay off the loans required to finish school and training.
There is a severe shortage, which is getting worse, of primary care physicians. Most are getting older and I have seen statistics that as little as 2% of medical students plan on going into family medicine. Personally, I think that most front-line doctors should be paid more.
I know that I am going against all of the medical pundits on television, but here are my thoughts:
If I have to wait over an hour for my appointment, I don't care and won't complain. I have chosen my doctor because I trust him and understand that he is not dealing with parts that can simply be replaced. There are always emergencies and I would like to know that if he sees something unusual, he will not tell me my time is up after 5 minutes.
My family doctor knows my blood chemistry idiosyncrasies, the demands on my life, my insurance problems and is always aware at what point to slow down and get another opinion or tests. In addition, he has to maintain a staff to handle all insurance and coding problems, write letters and act as if he has never seen a fever before.
I believe that the reason that some people complain about and to doctors is because of their frustration with insurance confusion and the costs involved. We never get the see or talk to the people at the insurance companies, so the doctors are doomed to handle all of the complaints from patients and the excessive paperwork for insurance claims.
So, to the doctors in whom I trust; "Take your time and thanks. I would rather wait for a doctor who knows the demands on my life, my limitations on health care costs and my medical history than being prompt. I do not envy your responsibility."
Many will disagree with this thread, but I am hoping that my doctor does not retire until I am long gone. Training a new one can be even more time consuming and that is something upon which I do not want to waste my time.
The Virtual Patient
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