Anyone who contemplates a career in the medical field is told more than a few times that one should not do it for the money. Truer words were never spoken. Just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffett. Hell, that bum with a homeless sign on the corner probably makes more than I will, if only because he doesn't have to pay to stand on a busy intersection and all proceeds are tax-exempt (holidays are particularly profitable, so I've heard).
Thus, it's more than a little confusing when the "best and brightest" of this thriving nation go into pimple-popping, face-lifting specialties. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate dermatologists or plastic surgeons (my cousin being one of the former), but is it really necessary for 383 people to apply for 6 residency spots? Yes. Because let's be honest with ourselves here: people do it for the money. And lifestyle. If you were given the opportunity to make over $300,000/yr compared to $190,000/yr while working only 40 hours with little or no call, which would you choose?
I thought so.
Despite my lack of an economics background, there seem to be some warped incentives here. Elective surgery is profitable because insurance companies won't cover "cosmetic" procedures. And, since people are obsessed with staying wrinkle-free, they willingly pay out-of-pocket, which translates into desert island vacations with plenty of mai tai's and liberal applications of sunscreen. In fact, this trend is so prevalent that I predict a long, drawn-out painful death for most of the population in the distant future. We will all be gomers, but we will be beautiful gomers, dammit. I have provided a visual representation below:
The Woman of Tomorrow
3 comments:
Well, we're all going to die at some point, so internists and family physicians are essentially useless. Might as well die beautiful :)
And this one should make you feel better about our shortage of family physicians; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/14/AR2008031403519.html
Get back to work, L.A.G!
You forgot to label asthma, diabetes, and Alzheimer's on the nice young lady.
And you can never die beautiful, even with a normally beautiful face. At least not when pee and poop are streaming out of you like there is no tomorrow (...well, there is no tomorrow).
That was a small sampling of the myriad diseases we're all going to have when we're old. Besides, she doesn't have a brain so no Alzheimer's.
As for boutique practices, I don't think they're all bad. My CFO is part of one and loves it. Access will always be a problem regardless of the system, even in a socialist one. Interesting fact: he and his partners are going to get $1,500,000 right off the bat with 1,000 patients.
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