Would you do primary care without debt?

[JohnnyDoc]

Going to med school for free to do internal medicine, family medicine, pediatric, or obgyn.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[kenjixshadow]

Yes for IM -- potential fellowship later on.
No for FM, ped, or obgyn.
I'm not going to IM so voted no.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Heck yeah!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cayutsby5]

Going to med school for free to do internal medicine, family medicine, pediatric, or obgyn.

Is scholarship contingent on rural work post school?

 

[JohnnyDoc]

Nah, your medical school is paid for, but you can only do primary care specialties.

 

[Goro]

This may surprise you, but there are people who actually like Primary Care, and it's not the 7th Circle of Hell, either.

Going to med school for free to do internal medicine, family medicine, pediatric, or obgyn.

 

[Promethean]

I'm planning to do it with debt, and as my first choice. So, I probably skewed your results. Sorry.

 

[GimpGenius]

This may surprise you, but there are people who actually like Primary Care, and it's not the 7th Circle of Hell, either.

I always thought of it as Purgatory with slightly better pay.

As to the OP, if I were debt-free, making at least the high end of current salaries ($175K or higher), and could tailor practice to make a "full spectrum" physician, I'd consider it.

Actually, if they paid for everything and just reduced the paperwork by 80%, I bet people would flock to primary care. I don't think it's the debt that's the problem so much as it is the excessive regulations that get in the way of doing what most of us (hopefully) went into medicine for: doing right by people.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

It's true that primary care may pay lower salaries than most other fields of medicine, but people don't realize that it also has one of the highest income ceiling if you play your cards right.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

It's true that primary care may pay lower salaries than most other fields of medicine, but people don't realize that it also has one of the highest income ceiling if you play your cards right.

Care to explain?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Care to explain?

A FM doctor in a high traffic group practice can make bank. Likewise they can always find money elsewhere such as in working part time at a nursing home or etc.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

To the OP, I don't think I'd be happy in PC. There are other fields that I think are significantly more interesting and fit my personality i.e psych, neuro, some IM subspecialties. For me I'd rather be doing something I like and making less net money than making bank in a field I don't like or would burn out of.

 

[67552931811]

Care to explain?

For one, not dealing with the leeches and parasites known as the government and insurance, respectively.

 

[GUH]

Actually, if they paid for everything and just reduced the paperwork by 80%, I bet people would flock to primary care. I don't think it's the debt that's the problem so much as it is the excessive regulations that get in the way of doing what most of us (hopefully) went into medicine for: doing right by people.

If you also throw in elimination of bureaucratic preventive medicine checklists for primary care visits and EMR and MOC requirements, you can sign me up! Out of all the primary care docs I've worked with, none of their complaints were about actually taking care of patients. It was all the regulatory and paperwork burdens that didn't do anything to improve patient care that bothered them.

 

[hallowmann]

Going into med school, I highly doubted that I would like FM. What people said about it, how much people seemed to hate on it, the general view of lack of prestige, etc.

I was all over the place in terms of interest, then I started to point towards something like Neuro or PM&R (because I shadowed those in 1st yr and I wanted patient contact). Then I thought something like IM would be good more or less because it would delay my decision and because I was shadowing FM docs in 2nd yr and really liking it, so I thought maybe I could leave PC and subspecialties open with IM.

After rotating through both IM (and multiple IM subspecialties) and FM extensively this year I can pretty confidently say that I will be choosing FM.

So yeah, if you asked me when I first started school, I'd say no way is it worth limiting your options to PC. If you asked me now, I'd say it's definitely worth it. The problem is unless you know what you want for sure now (and even then its not guaranteed) you will change your mind ten times in med school. I would really spend a lot of time with PC docs, see their day to day, interrogate them about their profession, pros, cons, what led them to the field, and decide if that fits you.

OR

In terms of your restrictions, you really need to look into surgical fields. If after really looking into them you don't like any of them, and you don't like Path, Rads, Pysch or Neuro, then your decision should be pretty easy.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

For one, not dealing with the leeches and parasites known as the government and insurance, respectively.

But aren't these "leeches" apart of all other fields of medicine in general?

 

[electrolight]

But aren't these "leeches" apart of all other fields of medicine in general?

When it comes to getting paid in primary care if their system relies on reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, they have to document certain HCC codes for each patient. In order for a patient to qualify for the codes you have to jump through a a ton of hoops.

Other specialities generate more income from procedures. It's easier to document.

 

[ortnakas]

Didn't vote. I'm leaning against family medicine, but (mostly) not due to compensation or debt. Still haven't ruled it out completely, though.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

When it comes to getting paid in primary care if their system relies on reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, they have to document certain HCC codes for each patient. In order for a patient to qualify for the codes you have to jump through a a ton of hoops.

Other specialities generate more income from procedures. It's easier to document.

ahhh I see. Thanks for the reply

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

From a point view of business, FM could be good, but otherwise, I wouldn't consider it.

 

[Launcelot]

After busting your rear end for a number of years after a great residency in one of the primary care specialties, you can make a great case for getting into concierge medicine in a really nice area that will more than make up for debt or "lost" potential income for choosing FM or IM in great compensation and working hours. That or a lucrative cash-only OMM/NMM practice in a place like San Diego wouldn't be bad either.

 

[Bacchus]

Who'd do FM?

 

[abolt18]

No, but that's just because it's not my thing. Me and clinic don't jive. I need to spend my life in the OR and/or the ICU.

 

[Mjolner]

Yes


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Mjolner]

I'd do FM.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[coffee-doc]

Being a part of a primary care group can pay off more than you've ever realized if you play it right and know what you're doing.

 

[DrDreams]

Yes.

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile