Political Action Req'd

[lvspro]

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Hey all
ASA form letter here for your senators. I did it in about 30 seconds. For all you talkers out there, put your political money where your mouth is.

http://capwiz.com/asa/home/


Also, donate to the ASA if you get a chance b/c they are pretty much the ONLY ones with our interests in mind. I'm going to donate this weekend especially with all of the political battles they've been fighting and WINNING lately. They've stepped to the mic.

 

[BLADEMDA]

 

[bluehighlighter]

Hmm...I have recently come to decision that the field is one in which I'm very interested. Besides the excitement of acute care medicine, the reimbursement for anesthesiologists is also quite attractive. However, with the possibility of a new healthcare reform that would drastically cut the reimbursement of physicians in the field...I begin to wonder if I could even sustain myself in the field with a possible Medicare based health plan... These student loans are looming...Would training is anesthesia be worth it from a financial stand point?

 

[starsop93]

Hmm...I have recently come to decision that the field is one in which I'm very interested. Besides the excitement of acute care medicine, the reimbursement for anesthesiologists is also quite attractive. However, with the possibility of a new healthcare reform that would drastically cut the reimbursement of physicians in the field...I begin to wonder if I could even sustain myself in the field with a possible Medicare based health plan... These student loans are looming...Would training is anesthesia be worth it from a financial stand point?

If anesthesiologists took a 50% pay cut, we would still make a lot of money, but that ISN'T going to happen. That being said, it is likely that the income disparity between primary care and specialty care will narrow significantly (It has to for the sake of medicine as we know it), and it probably won't happen just by increasing the pay of the primary care docs. At least some of it will come at the expense of the specialists.

The concern all pre-med and med students must have is how much is your education going to cost, and will that be in any way a good financial deal. The cost of a medical education has become ridiculous, and could be a disastrous situation if you happen, for example, to take out loans to go to Harvard and then decide to become a pediatrician... You better really love what you do, because you may be in debt for a LONG time.

You should not decide what you want to do based on income, but you also shouldn't take out $200,000 in loans without looking at the time it might take you to break even.