Pcp

[ToldYouSo]

Well i've read sooo many threads on how primary care is a specialty that isn't really liked by everyone b/c of the low pay compared to other specialties. Since there is (from what I understand) a shortage of pcp's wouldn't the only way to get more ppl in primary care would be to make a higher salary?

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[El Nino]

I love PC (family docs woot) even if they have low wages!

Yes, higher pay would solve the PC shortage. But, some people are just greedy, seriously anything over 100k is enough to have a "good" lifestyle. Most people don't even make 60-70k a year.

 

[Rendar5]

Most ppl are able to start their savings 10 years earlier than doctors, and don't have $180K in loans to pay off on top of other forms of debt what docs get paid would be fine if only we weren't forced to accrue major debt in order to become doctors.

What needs to happen is a change in the fundamental way our healthcare system works. Right now, dong lots of procedures is the way to get money. The billing system needs to change, we need to change the medical school costs so that doctors aren't going into practice severely money-starved. And I don't know about others, but there has to be something else to make primary care more likeable for docs.

 

[LovinPsych]

Most ppl are able to start their savings 10 years earlier than doctors, and don't have $180K in loans to pay off on top of other forms of debt what docs get paid would be fine if only we weren't forced to accrue major debt in order to become doctors.

What needs to happen is a change in the fundamental way our healthcare system works. Right now, dong lots of procedures is the way to get money. The billing system needs to change, we need to change the medical school costs so that doctors aren't going into practice severely money-starved. And I don't know about others, but there has to be something else to make primary care more likeable for docs.

I seriously agree there . It's ridiculous .

Anyone looking to get into healthcare will have loads of debt . They know we need so many years of school to do whatever part of the healthcare field we want to pursue . They have you at a bind . I am not looking forward to the debt at all . Loans was the last thing I wanted but hey that's life...

Our healthcare system is broken just like our government .

 

[ToldYouSo]

I seriously agree there . It's ridiculous .

Anyone looking to get into healthcare will have loads of debt . They know we need so many years of school to do whatever part of the healthcare field we want to pursue . They have you at a bind . I am not looking forward to the debt at all . Loans was the last thing I wanted but hey that's life...

Our healthcare system is broken just like our government .

Yes I know what you mean... The tuition is so high! You have to have a wealthy family to not have to take out loans, but I guess it's an investment...

 

[niranjan162]

I love PC (family docs woot) even if they have low wages!

Yes, higher pay would solve the PC shortage. But, some people are just greedy, seriously anything over 100k is enough to have a "good" lifestyle. Most people don't even make 60-70k a year.

Its not greed. 100k is alot if youre single, its ok if you have a family to support, not so great if you have a family, start earning 10 years later than everyone else, and a quarter of million of med school debt.

Dont compare physicians salaries to your average joe earning 40-70K a year. They didnt spend 8 years training to EARN a higher salary, and chances are they didnt have to work as hard during the college years either (compared to pre-med, unless they were an engineer).

to the OP, yes increasing salaries will be the easy answer. Obama plans to do this bugdet neutrally (which means taking money away from specialists). I dont think this is necessarily the best option. I think eventually it could lead to the same thing happenign to specialties. Its a patch fix. Good thing we trimmed 17 billion off of our trillions of dollars of debt

 

[Terpskins99]

Well i've read sooo many threads on how primary care is a specialty that isn't really liked by everyone b/c of the low pay compared to other specialties. Since there is (from what I understand) a shortage of pcp's wouldn't the only way to get more ppl in primary care would be to make a higher salary?

I'll give you my reason for disliking PCP work: its boring.

The work they do makes me question why PCP's even need to go to medical school. Renew prescriptions? Check vitals (sometimes)? Refer to specialists?

Every once in a while you get to do something semi-interesting... kenalog injection into an arthritic knee, suture up an incision/laceration, do a pelvic exam. But the vast majority of the time... routine uninteresting work. Trying to convince your patient to stay compliant with their medications, to stop smoking, to stop drinking, to stop eating mcdonalds every day, to start exercising... lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[DLi]

Woudn't be so bad if I get paid $150K a year doing all this boring, easy work. But like many of you mentioned, you gotta pay your debt. It's just logical to get into a specialty.

Another method would be to start your own practice, but that's really hit and miss, depending on how many patients you get.

I think Physician Assistant programs should increase and Physician Assistants should have more responsibilities. I doubt that the AMA would allow that to happen.

 

[Terpskins99]

Another method would be to start your own practice, but that's really hit and miss, depending on how many patients you get.

Starting your own practice sounds pretty simple, doesn't it. It becomes less so when you have to take into account things like start-up money, overhead costs and insurance premiums. I don't think volume of patients is as important as the type of patients you attract (read: the insurance carrier they each have).

I think Physician Assistant programs should increase and Physician Assistants should have more responsibilities. I doubt that the AMA would allow that to happen.

As far as I understand, the AMA has no control over how many PA's are trained nor the extent of medicine that a PA can practice. PA's have their own organization to handle that.

 

[MossPoh]

Woudn't be so bad if I get paid $150K a year doing all this boring, easy work. But like many of you mentioned, you gotta pay your debt. It's just logical to get into a specialty.

Another method would be to start your own practice, but that's really hit and miss, depending on how many patients you get.

I think Physician Assistant programs should increase and Physician Assistants should have more responsibilities. I doubt that the AMA would allow that to happen.

If you increase the responsibilities of physician assistances then they are just doctors. Increasing the amount of programs might cause a glut and lower the salaries paid, but who knows, it could also put some docs out of work. Most practices hire PAs because they do the bread and butter and can pay them less (which is sometimes more than a PCP still), by enabling them to do more they might generate a trivial amount more of income but demand a higher salary as well. I think restricting them to certain specialities without additional training requirements would be a sounder investment. As it is now, a PA can bounce from speciality to speciality and just do on the job training. NPs and PAs certainly have their place but only if they aren't seen as a cheap replacement to physicians.

 

[LovinPsych]

Yes I know what you mean... The tuition is so high! You have to have a wealthy family to not have to take out loans, but I guess it's an investment...

True very true , it's weird you'd say that my dentist told me the same thing that it's a nice investment in yourself and in your future . She said when she got down to her last book to pay back her last check to her student loans , she actually celebrated lol.