i think that one of the problems is also the incredible cost associated with medical school and higher education in general. again, in some countries, the cost of education is free or dirt cheap. anyways, tuition only makes up less than 10% of the actual income of a medical school. if the cost of medical school is lowered, then the debt is lowered and there is less incentive for making a lot of money.
as for glorification, some countries do glorify docs while others don't. it really depends on which country you're in. i can't say that i think that we can actively destroy the pre-existing glorification of physicians. only that the removal of enormous monetary rewards will discourage those who see it as a means to get rich. also, if working conditions and salary are the same for all physicians, specialists will not be given more money because they are specialists.
i didn't say that we should move to socialized medicine. living in canada, i know full well the troubles of universal public health. but i don't think that capitalism is the anwser either. i think that there is a happy medium somewhere in between that no one has found yet.
here's another idea concerning medical education: entry into medical school starts one year after general studies at a university. admission is done thru a month long selection process where potential premed students are invited to the university and asked to join in workshops and activities where admission committees can evaluate their performance and motives. then after admission, a seven year med program begins (remember, this is assuming cheap or free education). in the first four years, students can learn the required material at a pace less intense and demanding than what they presently do. this is similar to what happens in the UK and is similar to their undergrad degree in medical science. during this time, instead of having to memorize useless facts like in undergrad, students are taught critical thinking skills, creative skills and problem-solving skills. they are still required to learn the basic science courses but they get the chance to avoid the repetitive undergrad memorization that we do at present and learn skills that are directly applicable to medicine and life in general (i have some theories about undergrad education but there's not enough time for that now). by doing a four year basic science program, they are given more free time to pursue their individual interests while also learning to think (something hardly seen in undergrad programs nowadays). after the first four years, students are given three years of clinical training, better preparing them for future practice. by giving them three years of experience, they gain more exposure and we don't end up with residents who've run an IV "a couple of times before"(i'm not making this up!). total time: 8 years same amount of time for most med students.
-what do you think?
