@W19 I don't think your are an idiot and have no desire to insult you. I just disagree with you after working as a SICU, OHR, RN etc for 20 years. And I have only seen a portion of what is going with them, but I have had to work with them on patient orders and problems at the bedside, etc. I have seen them up daily before the sun rises reviewing all that patients on their service and ready to scrub in the OR not long after that. I have seen them cover difficult cases all night long, or have to go back into the OR or doing surgeries until 11PM or later, only to do all over again, and get a ton of other stuff in line before hand. I have seen them reamed out and not treated with soft hands a lot. And these are not careless, irresponsible residents or fellows. It can be brutal. Sure they have great days and experiences; but there is so much stress in this kind of role. They have to think carefully on their feet and the very nature of their work means procedures, and many, if not most--at least from where I have stood, are not easy, benign procedures. How many people are cutting or going inside someone's body regularly in medicine as compared with surgery?
Under the best circumstances, it's very nature is abundantly risky. My exposure has been enough to help me know that they earn every red cent they make--especially when they really make it their business to be excellent at what they do. It is the most difficult road in medicine, period, and it's long and doesn't come easy. And hour requirements have changed that make it more challenging to get the experience in order for surgeons to gain the excellence they need. Thankfully there are those like mimelin that take every opportunity to get the experience that he will need to be excellent.
You have to walk a mile in their shoes or at the very least, stand on the sidelines and watch them on the field, and then your position will change. On a personal note, surgeons have helped and saved my loved ones, friends, and family members numerous times. No one ever knows when they or their loved one will need an excellent surgeon; but it can sneak up on you in an instant. You have to put aside your bias to understand the pounds of flesh they give up to do, hopefully (and I have been fortunate to work around excellent surgeon 99% of the time) be excellent surgeons, taking peoples' very lives and quality of lives in their hands regularly. Are there those that are less than good or excellent or just, not so great? Yes. I'm sorry to say, however, that is something that can be found in any field.
It is infinitely more egregious when it comes to surgery IMO. So you better believe any excellent program and PD is going to be tough, b/c it is the kind of area that requires the utmost care, and in a second, a decision or act could kill or maim someone.
I mean, it's OK to say you want PCP to be better compensated. Save your judgments, however, about compensation for surgery until after you have gone on some surgery rotations, at the very least.
Also, as I said, while we need PCPs in certain areas, we will also continue to need seriously good/excellent surgeons. Like I said at first, most people in their right minds wouldn't go through a surgical residency and fellowship for peanuts. It would be insane, and we need to keep people interested. And even with good compensation, I truly don't believe most surgeons will go through that lifestyle and all that training and intensity of training, just for the money. My friend was a good example. That person decided early on, "Nope. This is just too much." And it wasn't like this person was a slacker. The person went to an Ivy most would kill to get into. If we don't have excellent surgeons, we are screwed in terms of healthcare.
