IMO many physicians who're against the development of a nationalized health system fail to see the benefits for all. It would prevent stupid errors, mandate a standard format for EMR, and improve the quality of care. For those of you who seem to think you've got the entire health care system figured out, can you even tell me if the US has high quality care and why? Health care in this country has failed to keep up with other knowledge based professions to make excellent outcomes consistent occurrences. My skis are made with more QA/QC than you'll ever encounter as a surgeon! If you think you'd be working 9-5 as a NHS doc, you're dead wrong, and you'll still be paid what you're worth too. If physician reimbursments fall disproprotionately, you won't get people enough people to fill the specialist training spots, or even generalist training spots. Please read about the ramifications of a nationalized health care plan instead of having a knee jerk response to it. BTW the solo practice model in medicine is a dinosaur model and I'm amazed it's how a great deal of DPM's still run their practices.
I hate talking politics, but answer me this:
Why are so many physicians from from countries with nationalized healthcare countries applying for American rotations, student visas, residencies, fellowship spots, or even practitioner licenses here in the US, then? Because we have the best country in the world, and it's a democratic,
capitalist economy. I honestly don't see many US students lining up to go train abroad (unless they couldn't get accepted to medical programs here). No, our healthcare system isn't 100% perfect, but QA/QC isn't really possible in medicine/surgery because new literature and innovations arrive daily (quite literally)... procedure inventions, new meds, orthobiologics and bioengineered alternative tissues, genomic project advances, etc etc etc.
For foot and ankle training, publications, and overall standards of care, I would contend that the US is at or near the top in the world. Once you get into pod school/residency, a simple look at the literature will tell you that. Germany (read
Orthopade, etc), Scandanavia (
Acta Orthopaedica, etc), Switzerland (AO/Synthes group, etc), and a couple other countries are right up there with us, but it's also easier to get new implants, products, etc over there since their government regulations aren't as stringent as the American FDA. Regardless, the USA is are clearly among the world leaders for F&A, so our pod training, practice models, etc are apparently working out ok, don't you think?
FYI, there is already a microcosm of socialized medicine in the US: it's called VAMCs (vet admin medical centers). Guess what? There are some great physicians in them, but the salary system does promote 9-5 docs, slow OR turnover times, lots of waiting for patients to get procedures they need, etc. There are also tons of resources - both staff and materials - wasted in the VAs just as there are in the public hospitals and the private sector. Facts of life.
