Class of 2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Elijah05 said:
i wasnt asked at creighton.., i doubt many schools are going to grill you on this when nothign is set in stone and congress doesnt seem close to getting anything done.
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ok that's good news cause this is all :bang:
 
DrYoda said:
Yeah🙁. Unfortunatly I think anything that happens in going to see the docs get the short end of the stick and big companies/special interests walk away somewhat happy.
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not that I care too much about compensation, but it has become ridiculous how little they pay primary care docs, a family friend has a MD, PhD and is a geriatrician and barely makes 100k...I don't know how they are going to get anyone to go into primary care anymore if there's more cuts...sigh
 
osumc2014 said:
not that I care too much about compensation, but it has become ridiculous how little they pay primary care docs, a family friend has a MD, PhD and is a geriatrician and barely makes 100k...I don't know how they are going to get anyone to go into primary care anymore if there's more cuts...sigh
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I think Obama's trying to fix that. Hope he succeeds.
 
osumc2014 said:
not that I care too much about compensation, but it has become ridiculous how little they pay primary care docs, a family friend has a MD, PhD and is a geriatrician and barely makes 100k...I don't know how they are going to get anyone to go into primary care anymore if there's more cuts...sigh
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The state of primary care has gotten really sad. The cost is so incredibly prohibitive for most people trying to do primary care, I know there's loan repayment programs but it's still in a pretty sad state.

BlueElmo said:
I think Obama's trying to fix that. Hope he succeeds.
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He is, which is good. He's doing it at the expense of most other physicians though, which I don't like.
 
osumc2014 said:
hmm...do you think there are any other ways or lower private insurance rates or provide care for everyone? this is one tough cookie
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Take this with a grain of salt, it's just my personal opinion:

I'd like to see the elimination of the link between employment and insurance. There is no reason that the two should be linked; they only are because employers can get insurance at better rates than individuals as per government regulations(and so, I liked Obama's idea of an "insurance marketplace" that would give individuals more power). I'd like to see individuals get the same rates as companies. Still, Obama wants to fine companies for not providing insurance, while I think if the two are separate, people will really have to shop around for their coverage.

Also, I think that if this were done, many individuals would opt for "catastrophe" insurance (or high deductible insurance). In other words, they don't get any kind of compensation for say, the first $5000 of medical expenses they incur in any given year. As soon as they go above that, everything is paid for by insurance. There are a number of benefits to this: 1. Less paperwork for physicians since many office visits would be dealing with cash. 2. More competition and price awareness since people will shop around for their healthcare (since they are actually paying for it out of pocket). 3. Freedom of choice. Instead of offering you health insurance, your employer is paying you the $5000 it cost to buy that insurance. If you don't use it, you keep it (which is why people will probably opt for this type of insurance in the first place).

I do like a lot of the regulations Obama wants for insurance companies: No dropping sick people, no penalties for pre-existing conditions, etc.

Yes, something needs to happen for people who still can't afford insurance. Tax credits, a medicaid type of system, whatever. I think a bigger issue at this point is rising costs for the middle class, the squeeze of physicians by insurance companies, and unfair treatment of patients by insurers.
 
metallica81788 said:
Dude, OSU, you missed your 1000th. 🙁
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o crap!

9780312244941.jpg
9780312244941.jpg
 
JimmerJammerMrK said:
Yes, something needs to happen for people who still can't afford insurance. Tax credits, a medicaid type of system, whatever. I think a bigger issue at this point is rising costs for the middle class, the squeeze of physicians by insurance companies, and unfair treatment of patients by insurers.
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I would think the current reform propsals would address these issues. Tax subsidies for those who cannot afford insurance, creation of a public insurance option to compete with private insurers to keep premiums low and give more breathing room for physicians. And of course the ban of underwriting practices, like denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, dropping coverage for the sick, etc by the private insurers.
 
JimmerJammerMrK said:
Also, I think that if this were done, many individuals would opt for "catastrophe" insurance (or high deductible insurance). In other words, they don't get any kind of compensation for say, the first $5000 of medical expenses they incur in any given year. As soon as they go above that, everything is paid for by insurance. There are a number of benefits to this: 1. Less paperwork for physicians since many office visits would be dealing with cash. 2. More competition and price awareness since people will shop around for their healthcare (since they are actually paying for it out of pocket). 3. Freedom of choice. Instead of offering you health insurance, your employer is paying you the $5000 it cost to buy that insurance. If you don't use it, you keep it (which is why people will probably opt for this type of insurance in the first place).
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I'm a big supporter of this type of insurance set-up. Part of the reason our rates are so high is that they pay everything. It's like having your car insurance pay for tire and break changes. Really it's not a very sensible system.

Honestly, you see alot of this stuff on here (I'm going out on a limb and assuming truth is being posted by attendings on here) about the small portion of charges that go to physicians. It makes me wonder if we'd be better off paying significantly higher out of pocket fees and limited insurance.

I don't think it would work though, seeing as the current American mindset is to have someone else pay for everything🙄.
 
DrYoda said:
I'm a big supporter of this type of insurance set-up. Part of the reason our rates are so high is that they pay everything. It's like having your car insurance pay for tire and break changes. Really it's not a very sensible system.

Honestly, you see alot of this stuff on here (I'm going out on a limb and assuming truth is being posted by attendings on here) about the small portion of charges that go to physicians. It makes me wonder if we'd be better off paying significantly higher out of pocket fees and limited insurance.

I don't think it would work though, seeing as the current American mindset is to have someone else pay for everything🙄.
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Personally, I feel that when we talk about the high cost of healthcare we're often referring not to the run of-the-mill physical, but to the procedures for which you have no ability to really assess as a consumer and therefore you can't really make an informed choice as to what will work best for you. I tend to assume that's why we instead defer to a pre-paid option like inclusive health insurance.

But that's just my two cents.
 
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BlueElmo said:
I would think the current reform propsals would address these issues. Tax subsidies for those who cannot afford insurance, creation of a public insurance option to compete with private insurers to keep premiums low and give more breathing room for physicians. And of course the ban of underwriting practices, like denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, dropping coverage for the sick, etc by the private insurers.
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Yep, and that's what I like about what he said. The first portion of my post, though, is what I think really needs to happen to "fix" the system.


DrYoda said:
I'm a big supporter of this type of insurance set-up. Part of the reason our rates are so high is that they pay everything. It's like having your car insurance pay for tire and break changes. Really it's not a very sensible system.

Honestly, you see alot of this stuff on here (I'm going out on a limb and assuming truth is being posted by attendings on here) about the small portion of charges that go to physicians. It makes me wonder if we'd be better off paying significantly higher out of pocket fees and limited insurance.

I don't think it would work though, seeing as the current American mindset is to have someone else pay for everything🙄.
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I think we would. That's why I think severing the link between employment and insurance makes so much sense.

jip said:
Personally, I feel that when we talk about the high cost of healthcare we're often referring not to the run of-the-mill physical, but to the procedures for which you have no ability to really assess as a consumer and therefore you can't really make an informed choice as to what will work best for you. I tend to assume that's why we instead differ to a pre-paid option like inclusive health insurance.

But that's just my two cents.
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Under a high deductible insurance plan, these are the things that you would be paying insurance for. To go back to Yoda's analogy: I was shopping for motorcycle insurance last year (true story). Turns out, if you get a high deductible plan (say, $6000), you can get insurance for like $90/year. If you want a $100 deductible that covers everything, including theft, weather, and elephant stampedes, the insurance is suddenly like $2500/year. So even if I drop my bike, break a mirror, and pay $500 for it (office visit/routine, small procedure), I save money in the long run with the high deductible insurance. Sure I might take a hit if the bike gets totaled (accident, surgery, ER visits), but if that happens after having high deductible insurance for a few years, the savings alone can pay for a new motorcycle.
 
BlueElmo said:
Spurs, you're my hero. I didn't tell you that before, right?
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Don't do it Blue!

BlueElmo said:
I like you better than I like ksmi, anyways.:shrug:
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🙁

GoSpursGo said:
Yeah, that's pretty much how the entire mod staff feels about it. Especially Caesar, he and I are like best buds 🙂
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Lies.

metallica81788 said:
God, this thread just went 😴 with all this crap.
Except for Bryson's talk of UVA. 👍
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Agreed. It's not really 😴 but I hate debating it.

DrYoda said:
Have they been asking you guys healthreform questions? That would suck.
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Nope. All my questions have been soooooo generic.

metallica81788 said:
Nice recovery. Peace out, everybody. Please don't make me come here tomorrow to ponder upon 12 new pages of healthcare schtuff on the 2014 board. :xf:
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This.
 
ksmi117 said:
Agreed. It's not really 😴 but I hate debating it.
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We're not debating, we're just discussing. :meanie:

In all seriousness though, this is a really productive conversation compared to the "healthcare debate" thread on the main PA page. More an exchange of ideas, less arguing. 👍
 
just got home from flight/interviewing

work tomorrow at 7am teaching at 4 pm random class at 630 pm then gym at 930-10 pm. still gotta finish moving in.


hope you guys had a good week(end). night, g/l with interviews :luck:
 
JimmerJammerMrK said:
We're not debating, we're just discussing. :meanie:

In all seriousness though, this is a really productive conversation compared to the "healthcare debate" thread on the main PA page. More an exchange of ideas, less arguing. 👍
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Yes, this is much more civil. Yay civility. I just prefer to keep my opinions on the topic to myself.
 
oh yea

for those with later interviews, ie november

sometimes domestic flights arent set this early so use Bing travel, w/ alerts. you get daily notices on competitive ticket prices. for example, tix to cleveland were over $300 until now, they dropped $70 today

oh and brooklyn, do your dry cleaning asap before next interview (note to self)
 
ksmi117 said:
Yes, this is much more civil. Yay civility. I just prefer to keep my opinions on the topic to myself.
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Right on. I usually do to, but osu asked me what I thought?

You're from the South, though, so we pretty much know your position, I think. 😛
 
some ppl in south are really into the public option

anywho, the question i have when presenting a public option (with private insurers still in existance) that provides for an "affordable coverage for all, regardless of pre-existing conditions blah blah blah" is that what will happen to the healthy non-smoking young adults

foreign countries w/ public options have tried HMOs, and even some states have tried to draft a public option. what usually happens is that the healthy ppl find private insurers to provide the cheapest rates for them. if public system cannot acquire that market then the cost will be really high
 
brooklynblunder said:
some ppl in south are really into the public option

anywho, the question i have when presenting a public option (with private insurers still in existance) that provides for an "affordable coverage for all, regardless of pre-existing conditions blah blah blah" is that what will happen to the healthy non-smoking young adults

foreign countries w/ public options have tried HMOs, and even some states have tried to draft a public option. what usually happens is that the healthy ppl find private insurers to provide the cheapest rates for them. if public system cannot acquire that market then the cost will be really high
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i was about to go to bed, but i had to log on and comment on what an excellent point this is. i thought of this while watching the speech, and the potential impact to a budget could be catastrophic without young healthy folks buying in. good job 👍
 
yea, this whole crap is a paradox really.

and the media talks about negotiations like one side will give into a point or another

i dont think healthcare works like that, it has to be well-thoughtout progressive deal. its gonna take sometime, you can't draft a complete bill and think it will be all good just because its "bipartisan"

oh well, im out
 
ksmi117 said:
Does everyone in the South think the same way?
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Of course, that's the beauty of stereotypes.

(I'm just kidding, if you didn't realize. I have no idea what your position is on this whole mess. Don't be mad at me. 🙁 )
 
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Duke's secondary sucks...thank god it's non rolling-- Complete at a few schools after my school finally decided to send in rec letters last friday- still not complete at many...

How are you guys dealing with flights?- just paying a ton of money or are there any "half-year" passes or something?
also...I won't have a car and don't feel comfortable driving another person's..this won't be a problem for interviews right?

and this is all assuming I get interviews, which of course is always up in the air
 
hey kiss me, you know I was kidding around right? You're still my favorite.












Almost
 
Off to catch my flight. Here's to hoping we all get tons of invites today.:luck:
 
Crash88 said:
Duke's secondary sucks...thank god it's non rolling-- Complete at a few schools after my school finally decided to send in rec letters last friday- still not complete at many...

How are you guys dealing with flights?- just paying a ton of money or are there any "half-year" passes or something?
also...I won't have a car and don't feel comfortable driving another person's..this won't be a problem for interviews right?

and this is all assuming I get interviews, which of course is always up in the air
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Yeah flights pretty much suck. I've booked 4 so far. 5 when I get around to booking my WashU one. Some airlines may have deals but I've never heard of an all-you-can-fly pass for like a year or whatever. But you really don't need a car. Most places have some good public transportation, and if worse comes to worse you can always take a cab.

BlueElmo said:
hey kiss me, you know I was kidding around right? You're still my favorite.

Almost
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🙁

BlueElmo said:
Off to catch my flight. Here's to hoping we all get tons of invites today.:luck:
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Good luck!
 
I've been trying to avoid flying for obvious financial reasons, and so far it's worked ok... I'll be driving to 5/6 of my total interviews thus far. Only one I'd have to fly to, if I decide to go, is University of Rochester. My longest drive so far was 10 hours to Michigan.
 
the only places i'd fly (if i were lucky enough to get interviews) would be uvm, gwu, georgetown, and hopkins. everywhere else is a short enough bus or train ride. woo hoo northeast!
 
CielloStelatto said:
have fun today, blue! be nice to your interviewers
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wait, where's Blue today? redrower and i are gonna be rocking downstate!

i'm actually writing this in my suit skirt. i have decided i like dressing like a grownup 🙂
 
i would most definitely take the bus or amtrak to dc as well, probably vermont too. flying would take more time w/ check in, waiting, and w/ a good chance of getting delayed. driving takes 5 hours from nyc
 
ksmi117 said:
Yeah flights pretty much suck. I've booked 4 so far. 5 when I get around to booking my WashU one. Some airlines may have deals but I've never heard of an all-you-can-fly pass for like a year or whatever. But you really don't need a car. Most places have some good public transportation, and if worse comes to worse you can always take a cab.
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I missed this! Congrats!
 
dw2158 said:
wait, where's Blue today? redrower and i are gonna be rocking downstate!

i'm actually writing this in my suit skirt. i have decided i like dressing like a grownup 🙂
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good luck everyone!!🙂
 
brooklynblunder said:
im already so tired of paying for flights
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fixed.

I just dropped $470 for my holiday airfares 😱. Going to grandma's in Boston for Christmas, then out to Denver to hang with the other side of the family, including 2 cousins I've yet to meet, then back home. FML.

actually almost hoping I don't get chicago love so I can drive to ALL my interviews -- almost 🙂
 
Chicago is working out well for me, I'm about 5 hours away, I'm driving out next Thursday, interviewing at Northwestern next Friday, and UChicago the next Tuesday. Missing a lot of class, but I don't want to have to make 2 trips to Chicago...
 
SteinUmStein said:
Chicago is working out well for me, I'm about 5 hours away, I'm driving out next Thursday, interviewing at Northwestern next Friday, and UChicago the next Tuesday. Missing a lot of class, but I don't want to have to make 2 trips to Chicago...
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nice that you could lump the interviews together!

right now I'm sitting on 2 in NC, 1 in DC, and one in PA -- driving from my client site, I'm not looking at any more than a 5 hour drive. I've only taken 2 vacay days so far this year, planning 3 for interviews, 7 for xmas/new years. hoping I get interviews, but now I'm a worried that I won't have the days to go to them. haha I guess that just means I'll be working REALLY long hours for 4 days a week if need be 🙂

EDIT -- BTW, just got a forwarded email from my dad. He's really good friends with a few docs that he met in the military -- here's the best part of the email:

"Any changes in medical reimbursements will probably benefit primary care over specialists/subspecialists but that will unfold over time; I still remember when anesthesiology went briefly from $500K to $70K/year due to a bad Medicare bill, about the mid-90s. Anesthesia residencies emptied and it was VERY easy to get a spot if you were so inclined. That has been fixed since then. Just goes to show: NEVER pick your specialty based on the money you expect to make."

I had never heard of that happening -- really interesting, and really good advice it seems
 
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