Dear Mr. Obama,

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MrCheetah

MrCheetah

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Please do something about the spiraling out-of-control costs of attending medical school. I'd prefer not to graduate with a 300k debt. Thanks.

MrCheetah
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please also do some tort reform...
if you do that maybe most doctors would advocate you instead of just the AMA, which is more or less providing us with such love.
 
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ducki303 said:
:thumbup::thumbup:.. i concur.
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I'm sure some people borrow more than that. I agree w/both of you.

Nevertheless, I was talking about medical school cost with a few coworkers yesterday. They seemed like they could care less about medical school costs. They said," $500K is NOTHING! Who cares if you have to borrow $500K for medical school! They make a lot of money after medical school!!!"

Btw none of them really know what it is like to go to medical school because none of them even personally knows anyone who wants to apply, or has applied, or has gone to medical school.
 
Mr. Obama could give a rats ass about you, the doctor. For all the AMA sucking up in the health care bill, they couldn't even get Obama to permanently fix the 20% yearly Medicare reimbursements cuts.

A couple of years ago, doctors didn't need to start paying their loans until after residency, now they have to pay immediately after med school. We also get shafted with an extortionary 6.8% interest rate when treasury bills return 0%.
 
Dear Mr. Obama and fellow supporters,

I told you so. FU

Peace
 
beebee0 said:
I'm sure some people borrow more than that. I agree w/both of you.

Nevertheless, I was talking about medical school cost with a few coworkers yesterday. They seemed like they could care less about medical school costs. They said," $500K is NOTHING! Who cares if you have to borrow $500K for medical school! They make a lot of money after medical school!!!"

Btw none of them really know what it is like to go to medical school because none of them even personally knows anyone who wants to apply, or has applied, or has gone to medical school.
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I love it when people that don't know what becoming a doctor entails say things like this. What can one do, but educate them?
 
MrCheetah said:
Please do something about the spiraling out-of-control costs of attending medical school. I'd prefer not to graduate with a 300k debt. Thanks.

MrCheetah
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Why again, exactly, is it we want Obama to do something? Um, med schools are not federally funded...state funded. Talk to your state gubernator.
 
I go to a state-sponsored med school and am $250k in debt. Medical education is getting more and more expensive; there is no longer a true cheap option.
 
I could write a letter to Obama with only two words. One of those words is 'you' ...
 
obama could always fund medicare to pay residents more than the hourly wage of a mcdonald's burger flipper...a highly unlikely possibility.
 
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FIREitUP said:
obama could always fund medicare to pay residents more than the hourly wage of a mcdonald's burger flipper...a highly unlikely possibility.
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dude.. i used to flip burgers and its some hard ass job.. lol.. jk
 
Dr. Obama thinks docs make too much as it is, he thinks that pediatricians do tonsillectomies, he wants to put the government in charge of health care ( the same government that was amply warned about a terrorist boarding on a plane but failed to stop him), he thinks that we deserve to have our ass sued, he thinks that buying a Porsche should commend an interest lower than education loans....should I keep going?
Sad thing is seeing the students in my class last year wearing Obama shirts.
Happy thing is most of them woke up during this past year.
Hopefully we'll get some better politicians (on both sides!!!) and things will get better. Hopefully.
 
womp said:
Mr. Obama could give a rats ass about you, the doctor. For all the AMA sucking up in the health care bill, they couldn't even get Obama to permanently fix the 20% yearly Medicare reimbursements cuts.

A couple of years ago, doctors didn't need to start paying their loans until after residency, now they have to pay immediately after med school. We also get shafted with an extortionary 6.8% interest rate when treasury bills return 0%.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware of this. This sounds fantastic, and practical. Don't you think bringing the cost of med school might help bring down the cost of health care? Or at least stop of the belly-aching about pay caps for doctors?
 
plauto said:
Dr. Obama thinks docs make too much as it is, he thinks that pediatricians do tonsillectomies, he wants to put the government in charge of health care ( the same government that was amply warned about a terrorist boarding on a plane but failed to stop him), he thinks that we deserve to have our ass sued, he thinks that buying a Porsche should commend an interest lower than education loans....should I keep going?
Sad thing is seeing the students in my class last year wearing Obama shirts.
Happy thing is most of them woke up during this past year.
Hopefully we'll get some better politicians (on both sides!!!) and things will get better. Hopefully.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: Very sad indeed; unfortunately, there are still a ton of my classmates that praise him. I even saw a classmate (last year) bring in a sign supporting Obama.....:thumbdown:
 
beebee0 said:
I'm sure some people borrow more than that. I agree w/both of you.

Nevertheless, I was talking about medical school cost with a few coworkers yesterday. They seemed like they could care less about medical school costs. They said," $500K is NOTHING! Who cares if you have to borrow $500K for medical school! They make a lot of money after medical school!!!"

Btw none of them really know what it is like to go to medical school because none of them even personally knows anyone who wants to apply, or has applied, or has gone to medical school.
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Did you ask them what they think doctors make? I'm sure they'd be surprised to learn doctors aren't really millionaires.

Also ask them if they ever complain about their family practice doc, maybe how he misses a diagnosis, just pushes pills, or how the wait is forever long, then ask who in their right mind would take the $125,000/year job after going $500,000 in debt.
 
beebee0 said:
I'm sure some people borrow more than that. I agree w/both of you.

Nevertheless, I was talking about medical school cost with a few coworkers yesterday. They seemed like they could care less about medical school costs. They said," $500K is NOTHING! Who cares if you have to borrow $500K for medical school! They make a lot of money after medical school!!!"

Btw none of them really know what it is like to go to medical school because none of them even personally knows anyone who wants to apply, or has applied, or has gone to medical school.
Click to expand...
Did you ask them what they think doctors make? I'm sure they'd be surprised to learn doctors aren't really millionaires.

Also ask them if they ever complain about their family practice doc, maybe how he misses a diagnosis, just pushes pills, or how the wait is forever long, then ask who in their right mind would take the $125,000/year job after going $500,000 in debt.
 
Sorry but Obama has nothing to do with your debt. These are private schools and they set their own prices. We can't demand low tuition and high salaries. Something gotta give.Like most other countries with cheap tuition(government subsidized), the pay gap between us and them is 2:1 or even 3:1 in some cases (Germany). Maybe in the future when the medical "bubble" bursts, we can all line up for a bailout. However, be ready for the public scorn. "Why should we bail out those rich doctors?", they will asked. Ooops sounds familiar.....
 
elftown said:
There is nothing wrong with your classmates wearing Obama shirts ...

As president for only the past year, none of these problems were caused by him...

Perhaps I'll look at those students the same way you do when Obama actually does f*** something up. But until then, no one can predict what will really happen if he had his way. If we were that smart, we wouldn't be in this mess. So along with the OP, I'm just going to hope he does step in for us - for the education and health of our country.
Click to expand...

are you saying the medicare cuts being currently implemented are not a f$$$ up? do you think they're good for the docs and the patients?
 
beebee0 said:
I'm sure some people borrow more than that. I agree w/both of you.

Nevertheless, I was talking about medical school cost with a few coworkers yesterday. They seemed like they could care less about medical school costs. They said," $500K is NOTHING! Who cares if you have to borrow $500K for medical school! They make a lot of money after medical school!!!"

Btw none of them really know what it is like to go to medical school because none of them even personally knows anyone who wants to apply, or has applied, or has gone to medical school.
Click to expand...

This is my main issue with the general public. I was in a health policy class last semester and it was an eye-opening experience during the medical education bit. My classmates had no idea about what the process involved to become a doctor.

People only see that doctors make $150k, $250k, whatever, but they don't consider the educational commitment/training required AND the debt (there was this nice little bar graph comparing med school debt to law, business, etc.) AND the long hours AND the stress at work AND trying to raise a family AND having a life. It all comes in a package. You can't just pick and choose whatever you want.

I know health care reform is the hot topic now, but maybe we should be focusing on not what doctors are making but what other people aren't making. Poverty is a real issue that deserves attention too.
 
Rogue Synapse said:
I go to a state-sponsored med school and am $250k in debt. Medical education is getting more and more expensive; there is no longer a true cheap option.
Click to expand...
Umass Med for me :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

10K tuition = awesome
 
MrCheetah said:
Please do something about the spiraling out-of-control costs of attending medical school. I'd prefer not to graduate with a 300k debt. Thanks.

MrCheetah
Click to expand...

Dear MrCheetah,

If you do not feel that medical school will be worth the debt, step aside and let one of the thousands of other applicants take your place.

Enclosed please find a list of PA and DNP programs you may be interested in.

Sincerely,

Your-O-Face
 
serenade said:
please also do some tort reform...
Click to expand...

After some research, enacting tort reform at the Federal level in a manner that won't violate the Constitution is a hard sell. And you can bet the trial lawyers will fight any such effort on that basis (and probably win).

If you are for tort reform, the best option is to practice in a state with a favorable legal climate for malpractice litigation. Other states will follow suit when they drive off enough physicians to cause significant shortages in medical care.
 
Its true that medical school is expensive but at least your not $200k in debt paying for a useless BA in history. I feel that an MD degree is worth the 200K investment.

Obama should help to reduced undergraduate tuition rates.
 
plauto said:
are you saying the medicare cuts being currently implemented are not a f$$$ up? do you think they're good for the docs and the patients?
Click to expand...

Assuming you're referring to this (http://tinyurl.com/medicarecuts), Obama had nothing to do with that either. The Medicare fee reduction formula was passed years ago, and its implementation been consistently delayed by the Democrat-controlled Congress (currently delayed to March 2010, I believe). The House has already passed a more sensible formula for trying to control Medicare payments (http://tinyurl.com/yfcwybk), without getting a single Republic vote (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3961/actions_votes). Similar legislation is stalled in the Senate, due to Republican opposition.

If you're talking about the Medicare cuts in the Senate and House health-care reform bills, the majority of the revenue comes from cutting Medicare Advantage (which is government-subsidized private insurance for the elderly) and not reduced payments to doctors (though there is some of that).

A broader point: I'm with you in that I don't want to see massive, arbitrary cuts in physician compensation. Doctors deserve to be paid fairly for the sacrifices they make in training for that career and for the important services they provide, and in the long run cutting doctor pay will be bad for patients (because the quality and quantity of physicians will decrease). At the same time, given how much rising health care costs are putting a strain on this country, both in terms of government budgets and individual incomes, I do support sensible measures to curb wasteful medical practices. Some policies which reduce payments to doctors in an absolute sense but create desirable incentives for doctors to be more cost-efficient are worth supporting.
 
I plan on going to an instate school here in NC. Most people graduate with like 150k in debt, and that's the high end. I could get out with less than that.
 
nhoang said:
Its true that medical school is expensive but at least your not $200k in debt paying for a useless BA in history. I feel that an MD degree is worth the 200K investment.

Obama should help to reduced undergraduate tuition rates.
Click to expand...

a BA in history could get you some jobs probably a average pay of 50k a year with the government pension. However like most bachelors degree's with the exception of engineering and comp sci you need graduate degree's to actually make money. However grad school.. is usually cheap since people in grad school are research slaves and make a lot of cash for there corresponding university.
Anyway a MD degree is a good investment as long as our pay remains decent, if our pay's reduced well then, we are more or less screwed intensely.
 
I wish Obama would do something about the fact that many health insurance companies do not cover psychiatric care.

I'm not sure why there is so much hostility towards Obama right now. I wish he could have gotten health reform through before Brown won Mass, but he was facing so much resistance.
 
elftown said:
With $300k in debt, they are probably not talking about public schools.
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Right. Ok, so why is it we want Obama to do something about private schools? Private schools aren't federally funded... Same issue. Of course I'm all for free stuff from the limitless hand of the federal government :rolleyes:

elftown said:
As president for only the past year, none of these problems were caused by him...

Perhaps I'll look at those students the same way you do when Obama actually does f*** something up.
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:laugh: Yeah, his actions held true to his word and our unemployment never reached 8% right? :rolleyes:

UTMBstudent said:
I wish Obama would do something about the fact that many health insurance companies do not cover psychiatric care.
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This I can agree with, at least about coverage for psychiatric care.

I just dont understand the knee jerk reaction of our society to turn to the federal government with our hands out. I know Obama is the savior and all, but why do we just sit around and expect him to do something about it. Why is it the fault or responsibility of the federal government again?
 
UTMBstudent said:
I wish Obama would do something about the fact that many health insurance companies do not cover psychiatric care.

I'm not sure why there is so much hostility towards Obama right now. I wish he could have gotten health reform through before Brown won Mass, but he was facing so much resistance.
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he faces hostility on 2 bases, firstly the usage of a cost effective system will possibily cause health care to decline and thus cause massive problems for everyone. I personally am for health care reform, but a health care reform which is slow and takes time and is during this transition its proven to work and maintain quality. Secondly Obama subscribes to the belief that doctors make too much money and spouts bs like doctors do things to max out money like unnecessary operations. Because of this he could very well cut our profit, cardiologists for example are going to be cut by 50% ( cardiologists of america are sueing to prevent this though). So basically your risking having a cardiologist who is making less then what a IM doctor makes today. So why would a IM want to specialize when they'll make the same as a cardiologist? Its a system Obama is putting into chaos.
 
7starmantis said:
:laugh: Yeah, his actions held true to his word and our unemployment never reached 8% right? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

This alone should give pause to all those who say that the health care reform bill will lower costs and remain "deficit neutral."

white%20house%20unem%20updated-thumb-575x370-17063.png


This chart was made by President Obama's chief economist Christina Romer in January of 2009 of unemployment expectations with and without the stimulus. It was used to pimp the stimulus bill.

The red data points are the actual unemployment numbers thus far.
 
womp said:
This alone should give pause to all those who say that the health care reform bill will lower costs and remain "deficit neutral."

white%20house%20unem%20updated-thumb-575x370-17063.png


This chart was made by President Obama's chief economist Christina Romer in January of 2009 of unemployment expectations with and without the stimulus. It was used to pimp the stimulus bill.

The red data points are the actual unemployment numbers thus far.
Click to expand...

And the red dots don't cont those who have "given up" searching for jobs, which is closer to 17% if you include them. Yay 1 trillion dollar stimulus..... :rolleyes:

Also, to the person who said they wish Obama passed the health care bill, are you serious??? Every poll has shown that more and more american's despise the health care bill and believe it's not representative of "change" we want.
 
Average Joe said:
Why all the Obama hate? :confused:
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because instead of tweaking one of the best health systems in the world, he wants to turn into a government-run mess. The system has some issues that do need to be addressed but changing it altogether is unnecessary and deleterious. Not to mention that most middle class americans do not want to pay the increased taxes to support this, the same middle class americans who for the most part have health insurance. So these people have insurance and are being asked to pay more taxes without any benefits for them and with uncertain benefits for others. Dr. Obama's plan won't fly under these conditions.
On top of that he's been making ignorant remarks about doctors and their salaries since he's been elected.
He's had the opportunity to change things but he's taken us down the wrong path with wanting to change the wrong things. Name one good thing he's done or planned to do that will positively affect your life as a doctor and as a taxpayer. People asked for change, not for half the nation to be on welfare.
 
plauto said:
because instead of tweaking one of the best health systems in the world, he wants to turn into a government-run mess. The system has some issues that do need to be addressed but changing it altogether is unnecessary and deleterious. Not to mention that most middle class americans do not want to pay the increased taxes to support this, the same middle class americans who for the most part have health insurance. So these people have insurance and are being asked to pay more taxes without any benefits for them and with uncertain benefits for others. Dr. Obama's plan won't fly under these conditions.
On top of that he's been making ignorant remarks about doctors and their salaries since he's been elected.
He's had the opportunity to change things but he's taken us down the wrong path with wanting to change the wrong things. Name one good thing he's done or planned to do that will positively affect your life as a doctor and as a taxpayer. People asked for change, not for half the nation to be on welfare.
Click to expand...

In opinion, I think Obama inherited quite a few issues from the last administration. I do agree that Obama did make quite a few promises he didn't necessarily follow through with. However, I’d guess he underestimated the effort required to tackle these problems.

Well, from the information I've gathered from (middle class) people in SF, a majority them were in favor of the health care reform.

I'm curious why SDN hasn't drafted a petition to send to Congress? It seems a majority of SDN's pre-meds enjoy complaining about a salary they haven't worked for. It's easy to talk, but taking action on the otherhand is a completely different story.
 
My car isn't the newest model or the best in its class so....


F*ck you Obama! You're not a good president.
 
Average Joe said:
In opinion, I think Obama inherited quite a few issues from the last administration.
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Not just your opinion, thats Pres Obama's opinion too. Only thing is, after a year it looses much weight. Especially when its only used to explain failure when Obama sticks nearly precisely with Bush doctrines in many other areas.

Average Joe said:
However, I’d guess he underestimated the effort required to tackle these problems.
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I think thats called inexperience....one of the main reasons I couldn't support him.
 
JoshUNCW said:
I plan on going to an instate school here in NC. Most people graduate with like 150k in debt, and that's the high end. I could get out with less than that.
Click to expand...

ECU= Cheapest med school in the US
 
Average Joe said:
In opinion, I think Obama inherited quite a few issues from the last administration. I do agree that Obama did make quite a few promises he didn't necessarily follow through with. However, I’d guess he underestimated the effort required to tackle these problems.

Well, from the information I've gathered from (middle class) people in SF, a majority them were in favor of the health care reform.

I'm curious why SDN hasn't drafted a petition to send to Congress? It seems a majority of SDN's pre-meds enjoy complaining about a salary they haven't worked for. It's easy to talk, but taking action on the otherhand is a completely different story.
Click to expand...
You can't use SF as a place to gauge middle class America.
 
plauto said:
because instead of tweaking one of the best health systems in the world, he wants to turn into a government-run mess. The system has some issues that do need to be addressed but changing it altogether is unnecessary and deleterious. Not to mention that most middle class americans do not want to pay the increased taxes to support this, the same middle class americans who for the most part have health insurance. So these people have insurance and are being asked to pay more taxes without any benefits for them and with uncertain benefits for others.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but it doesn't sound like you really understand what's in either the Senate or House bills. Neither of these plans are radical revisions of the American healthcare system that could be described as "changing it...altogether". What is it specifically about these plans that you think is so drastic? The Senate bill in particular is basically represents a compromise on a half-century of debate over health care (see http://tinyurl.com/BillisCentrist), and it resembles a federalized version of the Massachusetts plan passed a few years ago, which is now very popular in the state (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/01/massachusetts-liked-universal-health.html).

I also don't know what you mean when you say middle-class Americans will be paying higher taxes if these plans pass. What tax are you talking about? (As far as I know, middle-class families will not pay a dime in higher taxes unless their insurance plans are worth more than $24,000, which is a very small minority of middle-class people).

You asked what Obama has done for middle class people so far; here are a few answers:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/08/obama-has-cut-taxes-for-986-percent-of.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Ledbetter_Fair_Pay_Act_of_2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helping_Families_Save_Their_Homes_Act_of_2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/31stimulus.html


You also asked how the health-care bills currently being considered would benefit the middle-class:
http://tinyurl.com/yefbjwm

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/eight_reasons_to_pass_health-c.html


Addendum: I'm not saying there aren't potentially legitimate reasons to oppose the current health care legislation, or the Obama agenda in general. I'm just trying to respond to the notion that this legislation (A) is a radical transformation of the system, (B) taxes the middle class, and (C) fails to benefit the middle class.
 
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7starmantis said:
I just dont understand the knee jerk reaction of our society to turn to the federal government with our hands out. I know Obama is the savior and all, but why do we just sit around and expect him to do something about it. Why is it the fault or responsibility of the federal government again?
Click to expand...

I agree. But your point here is inconsistent with (A) your using the current unemployment numbers as an example of Obama "f***ing up", and (B) your point that Obama can't blame current economic problems on the situation he inherited.

Before you say it: yes, the Obama Administration was incredibly off-base in promising a peak unemployment rate of 8%. But bad prediction != bad policy.
 
I love how he has been in office for a year now, and still refuses to take responsibility for anything. It is still all Bush's fault. That phrase is the 'cash for clunkers' of excuses. AKA: FAIL.
 
plauto said:
because instead of tweaking one of the best health systems in the world, he wants to turn into a government-run mess. .
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you're joking right...
 
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Obama has just taken the liberal spending ideas that Bush did and multiplied them by 10+. He complained about how Bush ran things and is now spending like an American with a limitless credit card. At least Bush had some reserve. Don't get me wrong, Bush was crap, but this Obama character is more of a celebrity then a president and always will be. We should just elect Sean Penn and get it over with already is this is what people think is good for the country. He's one arrogant out of touch *****, just like the rest of them.

Except Ron Paul... he's the man, and a Duke Med grad.
 
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