PrincessPratt Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Well I wanted to throw this out there b/c someone posted a one liner in the new proposed healthcare legislation that really bothered me. They wrote that capping the reimbursement rates for docs might simply mean they will have to downgrade from a "luxery" vehicle to a tahoe. I was quite disturbed by this statement. My reasons: 1. The majority of the docs I work with work their butts off! Usually 70 plus hours a week!2. They've spend countless hours preparing for a 100K plus salary that is not as nice as people think (will explain later). They spent at least 4 years in an undergraduate program. 4 years in medical school (and you cannot work during medical school). 3 to 7 years in a residency program depending on specialty (3 years for family practice/internal medicine 7 years for neurosurg). 1 to 3 years in fellowship. The average age is 32 to 34 when they actually become an attending physician where they can bill. In residency they average aboutu $9 to $10 an hour with all the hours/call they do. 3. Family practice docs make an average of $120 a year after malpractice, overhead, etc. I don't know any docs breaking $500K unless they are anesthesia or CTS or NS, etc etc etc. Meaning LONGER residencies, fellowships, and much much older when they are done to make that money. 4. Average student loan debt is $250 to 300K when they are done. Wow that's a butt load of money!!! That is MORE than a very large house payment per month. 5. Family life usually sucks b/c they work so many hours they don't get to see their families much. Ok those are just a few reasons why I think physicians deserve their salaries (believe me there are MANY more I could list). I mean they are dealing with human lives every single day. Do you realize if they cap the rates anymore all the very good docs are going to start taking more administrative roles and leave the patient care to the docs who are very "sue" worthy. The quality of health care is going to be severly diminshed. These are not prestigious jobs anymore like people think. This profession has lost it's appeal for many reasons I'm not going to discuss. If someone is willing to work that hard to get where they are why should they not be able to drive a nice car after all that school and work? Why should they be judged for it? And furthermore, I park next to the docs every day and I promise you it's very FEW of them that drive anything more than an accord or another more economical car. They have decreased reimbursement rates so much in the last few years with managed care that docs are working double and triple the hours they used to just to make the same cash. Obviously you all know my thoughts on this but I was wanting some of the publics opinions seeing this is the culture I live and breath in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likwid Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4junkie Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Well said Pratt, that post may = one beer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Srsly? You really wanted to go there?I'll spare everyone the similar diatribe on engineers, for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likwid Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Srsly? You really wanted to go there?I'll spare everyone the similar diatribe on engineers, for now.What's an engineer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 The nobodies responsible for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 *yawn*as hard as they agreed to...nobody FORCED them to be a doctor...that is what they CHOSE to do...I'm a little sick of their whining about malpractice insurance, long hours, etc etc...shut the eff up, quit complaining, it's the job you agreed to do, go do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Anyone else wanna 'ring the bell' about how hard their jobs are compared to everyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmagicglock Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 I wanted to be a doctor, got a degree in biologybut now i sell tobacco... I realized people weren't worth saving and some needed help with just the opposite haha (jk!)im tired of gov't taxes and FDA regulations... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessPratt Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 *yawn*as hard as they agreed to...nobody FORCED them to be a doctor...that is what they CHOSE to do...I'm a little sick of their whining about malpractice insurance, long hours, etc etc...shut the eff up, quit complaining, it's the job you agreed to do, go do it.yes but if you went to school that long and then your money that was promised to you kept dwindling how would you feel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessPratt Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 that's why I wrote this Pauly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 yes but if you went to school that long and then your money that was promised to you kept dwindling how would you feel?NOTHING is promised...I have a freind who is in school debt that far, and he's doing the same job he was doing at 14...unfortunately for him.if you want a better job, you had better step up your game and be a better option than your competition.that is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robhawk Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 My job is oddly easy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siggywiggy Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 i agree princess. My cousin (nurse practitioner) is married to a doctor and he didn't start his practice until he was like 45. He now has a nice house but has average vehicles...nothing fancy at all. After all his insurance and crap he was making about $45,000 a year. Crazy. They both work very long hours mostly due to all the medical billing and paper filing. I wouldn't want his job for anything. Yes, he did choose that as a profession. I never see him whine though. It is ridiculous that someone would judge someones possessions when they know nothing about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChickOn2 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 nobody FORCED them to be a doctor...that is what they CHOSE to do...I'm a little sick of their whining about malpractice insurance, long hours, etc etc...shut the eff up, quit complaining, it's the job you agreed to do, go do it.+ 1. Basically... Anyway shouldn't they be in medicine for the good of mankind? Not for the money. *cue "Hands Across America"PS: Engineers work? I did not know that. I though they just sat around thinking of innovative ways to play WOW.***C/o/2 RUNS LIKE HELL*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmagicglock Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/20/06work_bestpayjobs_slide.html9/10 of the top paying jobs are in the medical field Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 + 1. Basically... Anyway shouldn't they be in medicine for the good of mankind? Not for the money. *cue "Hands Across America"PS: Engineers work? I did not know that. I though they just sat around thinking of innovative ways to play WOW.***C/o/2 RUNS LIKE HELL***exactly. did they become a doctor because they truly cared about helping people or because they knew they could stack paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreator Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 + 1. Basically... Anyway shouldn't they be in medicine for the good of mankind? Not for the money. *cue "Hands Across America"PS: Engineers work? I did not know that. I though they just sat around thinking of innovative ways to play WOW.***C/o/2 RUNS LIKE HELL***Ouch.. That one is kinda right on the money:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Engineers work? I did not know that. I though they just sat around thinking of innovative ways to play WOWI'd have a comeback, but don't have enough mana to cast +70 Dry Humor.(I don't even play WoW, why do I know so much about it? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChickOn2 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 (I don't even play WoW, why do I know so much about it? )Idk, dumpling... maybe when you receive your degree, some kind of chip gets implanted in your brain..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 me agrees with PrincessPrattme agrees with JRMMiiiAny sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.Do not fear what you do not understand... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessPratt Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Every single doc I work with does it for b/c they care about people but you still want to be able to support your family AND pay off your student loans. I'm not saying that docs don't make decent money but you have to think about the amount of hours they work. That forbes information is all surgeons. I don't anyone that's not in plastics and is a surgeon that isn't at work by 0400 and leaves well after 7 pm every day. Those are long hours. I would NOT want their job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 What's an engineer?a person who drives a train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 . I'm not saying that docs don't make decent money but you have to think about the amount of hours they work. id make decent money too if i worked two full time jobs (80 hr/wk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessPratt Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 And I do want to add that at one point every single person in this thread is going to need to have "extra" time with a doc at some point in their life. You know what you're gonna get??? Oh, I'm sorry but with my reimbursement rates I can only give you 10 minutes today. Sorry but if you have other issues to discuss you're going to have to come back another day. This is all I'm trying to get across. It's going to affect each and every one of us. And isn't it the American dream to be able to work hard and get paid for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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