new prez & fam med

[6ft3dr2b]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to get your opinion on how Obama's election will effect medicine overall and primary care specifically.

Currently, I am a 3rd year med student that is in love with primary care (especially family medicine). I keep hearing all these concerns from attendings and classmates saying that FM doesn't pay well, there's too much frustration in the admin work, socialized med will decrease compensation, etc etc. I just wanted to know your thoughts. I was thinking of practicing in the nyc/nj metro area in order to get city and suburban patients. This morning my attending suggested that if I'm interested in FM, then I should supplement my income with a sub specialty. He further added that he would recommend IM since it has more sub specialty options.

What would you do? What would you recommend?

I consider myself a simple guy. I want to work, have a family and a comfortable lifestyle (I don't need to be RICH). I feel like I'm in a catch 33 now. I could do what I like and "suffer" or do something else and not like it.

Thanks

6ft3dr2b

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[deleted87716]

It really doesn't matter who's president. The ball is already in play. Our healthcare "system" (and I use that term loosely) is in need of a long-deserved overhaul. Primary care physicians have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. The patient-centered medical home model is gaining a lot of traction, which is (again, IMO) a Good Thing. Personally, I don't think the country is ready for socialized medicine. I could be wrong, but then...I have other options, so it really doesn't make much difference to me.

The bottom line? If you love primary care, just remember what Polonius said to Laertes: "To thine own self be true."

 

[6ft3dr2b]

what about compensation? red tape frustration? the hours? etc etc

This morning my attending was suggesting I get a "2nd job" with a sub specialty. He suggested that I was "nieve" in thinking I could be comfy making a living when medicaid/medicare compensation rates will go down.

At this point, I know I love primary care. The only issue is whether or not I should specialize in IM so that i could later subspecialize (rather than FM that has fewer options)

thanks

PS sorry about the error...**catch 22**

 

[deleted87716]

This morning my attending was suggesting I get a "2nd job" with a sub specialty.

"Second job in a sub-specialty?" Huh?

Your attending sounds like he has no idea what he's talking about. Take his advice at your own peril.

He suggested that I was "nieve" [sic] in thinking I could be comfy making a living when medicaid/medicare compensation rates will go down.

If you're in FM (and you don't want to be broke), you limit your Medicare patients, and don't accept Medicaid.

The only issue is whether or not I should specialize in IM

Yeah, that makes sense. Medicare rates are going down, so why not take a job where you see Medicare patients almost exclusively?

 

[DonStracci]

what about compensation? red tape frustration? the hours? etc etc

This morning my attending was suggesting I get a "2nd job" with a sub specialty. He suggested that I was "nieve" in thinking I could be comfy making a living when medicaid/medicare compensation rates will go down.

At this point, I know I love primary care. The only issue is whether or not I should specialize in IM so that i could later subspecialize (rather than FM that has fewer options)

thanks

PS sorry about the error...**catch 22**

I got this my entire 3rd year... "you're going to be sorry" lectures about how I'm going to be poor as a family med doctor. Usually it was specialists- the worst one I can recall was a cardiologist.

I always rolled my eyes, and sometimes argued with them. The best thing to do is just ignore them.

Note: eye-rolling and arguing with attendings is not recommended, though it is possible to be successful in doing these things. My need to defend myself when being talked down to is a whole different post, I assure you