Portrayal of physicians in the media

[totu22]

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There is a lot of anti-doctor sentiment in the media, whether direct (docs make too much, docs don’t care about patients, etc.) or indirect (nurses provide same level of care, etc.), but seemingly fewer pieces supporting doctors and fewer pieces criticizing similarly competitive fields. I understand that there will always be those people who attempt to criticize others in society who typically make more money or (debatably) garner more respect. I also understand that taking good care of patients of patients is far more important to practicing physicians than dedicating time to defending the profession in the media.

But the fact that there is less criticism of corporate lawyers, investment bankers, and consultants, which many doctors could have been (especially if they went to a competitive ugrad), is absurd to me. The sole purpose of these corporate jobs is to make money (and they usually make more, and sometimes make much more, than physicians) and there is historically a general anti-lower/middle class mantra in these businesses ripe for being ripped apart in the media. On the other hand, the main purpose of being a physician is to treat and better society. Yet despite this (minus occupy wall street, which was definitely significant) the number of anti-doctor pieces seems to far out number anti-other competitive profession pieces.

My question is two fold:

1) Why do doctors get so much flack in the media, especially when compared to other similarly competitive professions and

2) How can this be changed?

Disclaimer: I’m applying to med school. My only real knowledge of the medical profession in society comes from having several family members as attending physicians.

 

[Señor S]

Doctors get more flak than investment bankers? On what planet?

There have been only a few overtly anti-doctor pieces in the mainstream media, which of course this board fixates on. Much more common is criticism of insurance executives. But to the extent that doctors are targets for a lot of criticism, it's because

1. Healthcare costs are ridiculous, and doctors, as the people who make treatment decisions, bear at least some of the responsibility for that
2. Physician pay:treatment outcome ratio (if there were such a thing) in the United States is pretty mediocre

 

[totu22]

Doctors get more flak than investment bankers? On what planet?

There have been only a few overtly anti-doctor pieces in the mainstream media, which of course this board fixates on. Much more common is criticism of insurance executives. But to the extent that doctors are targets for a lot of criticism, it's because

1. Healthcare costs are ridiculous, and doctors, as the people who make treatment decisions, bear at least some of the responsibility for that
2. Physician pay:treatment outcome ratio (if there were such a thing) in the United States is pretty mediocre

On our planet. You tell most people outside of NYC and the surrounding area that you are an investment banker and they think you are a bank teller.

 

[DermViser]

I think a lot of it is because society has changed. A lot of jobs in the United States have evaporated and more people have lost their jobs esp. in times of recession. To be honest, I side with them. The middle class has been effectively hollowed out in terms of jobs and social mobility in this country. So naturally there will a twinge of jealousy of those seeing a physician esp. if they've badly been treated by one. Physicians are in a field that is virtually recession proof. They're also easy to see. You can't just go up and see a Wall Street corporate investment banker, lawyer, etc. They work behind the scenes.

This administration is very much anti-physician. Look at the rhetoric used again physicians about bilking the system by Obama and others when health reform was being put together? The people he has hired believe doctors (specifically specialists) are cheating the system and that they make too much money (w/bad outcomes)

I also think a lot of Obamacare will involve pressuring certain actors in the system to accept it. The editorial board at the New York Times fully advocates for the full implementation of Obamacare. Physicians and hospitals have been resisting it in terms of the Obamacare exchange plans. So what better way to strong arm them and start writing articles on high hospital costs, doctors salaries, and beating up on those oh so greedy, mean, specialists?

As far as getting the real idea, you might want to talk to physicians outside of your family. You will be practicing in a MUCH MUCH different environment than your family ever will.

 

[Frazier]

Average Joe Citizen has more direct exposure to medicine and physicians than they do corporate law and investment bankers (per your examples).

From Average Joe Citizen's eyes, they are well aware of what a physician's job entails.

From Average Joe's perspective, it entails: making the patient stress by rushing to get to their appointment on time -- just to end up sitting for a subsequent long wait time, telling the patient to quit what they love to do (ie stop smoking, ease off junk food), having a rushed face-to-face meeting with the patient where they simply say "here take this pill" (which will be expensive and have side effects, yet the positive benefits not readily seen/felt). Or those physicians "sitting and playing on a computer" while the patient/patient's loved one waits and waits in the ED.

Then average joe is more likely to encounter the physician driving their new Mercedes/BMW, while they chug along in their 2000 Cavalier.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I think a lot of it is because society has changed. A lot of jobs in the United States have evaporated and more people have lost their jobs esp. in times of recession. To be honest, I side with them. The middle class has been effectively hollowed out in terms of jobs and social mobility in this country. So naturally there will a twinge of jealousy of those seeing a physician esp. if they've badly been treated by one. Physicians are in a field that is virtually recession proof. They're also easy to see. You can't just go up and see a Wall Street corporate investment banker, lawyer, etc. They work behind the scenes.

This administration is very much anti-physician. Look at the rhetoric used again physicians about bilking the system by Obama and others when health reform was being put together? The people he has hired believe doctors (specifically specialists) are cheating the system and that they make too much money (w/bad outcomes)

I also think a lot of Obamacare will involve pressuring certain actors in the system to accept it. The editorial board at the New York Times fully advocates for the full implementation of Obamacare. Physicians and hospitals have been resisting it in terms of the Obamacare exchange plans. So what better way to strong arm them and start writing articles on high hospital costs, doctors salaries, and beating up on those oh so greedy, mean, specialists?

As far as getting the real idea, you might want to talk to physicians outside of your family. You will be practicing in a MUCH MUCH different environment than your family ever will.

I agree with this a lot. I think because of societal factors that the outlook is affected.
Even look back through the past 100 years. Sentiment towards physicians and other healthcare professionals varies dramatically because of the times with which we are discussing. For a couple decades people hate them, then a decade later they are loved and admired. I have no doubt that we are simply in a lull because of the economy and other cultural factors. Ask again in 5-10 years and the picture may be completely different. Only time will tell.

 

[operaman]

Um, little to no criticism of investment bankers, corporate lawyers, etc.? Do you even read the newspaper?

Doctors get quite a bit of respect in the media, and probably even more respect in person. Just lawyers who also get maligned, everybody feels differently when they really need one.

Overall I think physicians in the media suffer from the same problem that teachers do. Namely, everybody thinks they know how to fix education because they once sat in a classroom. People also seem to think they know what medicine should be since they once had a school physical. The honest truth is far more nuanced and complex.

There is also the issue of relative net worth. In most of America, physicians are the wealthiest people in town, especially smaller towns with a median income of 38k per year; the MD making 400k look like a king. The enclaves of truly wealthy people are few and small and most people never interact with those people.

 

[DermViser]

There is also the issue of relative net worth. In most of America, physicians are the wealthiest people in town, especially smaller towns with a median income of 38k per year; the MD making 400k look like a king. The enclaves of truly wealthy people are few and small and most people never interact with those people.

It wouldn't be a problem if people didn't feel the deck was stacked against them. "Income inequality" or whatever you want to call it is so much greater now.

 

[Jabbed]

I always thought that public outcry over physicians' wages was a little ironic considering that it's one of the few fields that actually provides high fidelity income/class mobility in exchange for years of hard work and dedication.

#TheAmericanDream

 

[DermViser]

I always thought that public outcry over physicians' wages was a little ironic considering that it's one of the few fields that actually provides high fidelity income/class mobility in exchange for years of hard work and dedication.

#TheAmericanDream

The public outcry is more over the huge hospital bills that throw people into bankruptcy. Isn't the stat that 2/3 of the people in bankruptcy are due to medical bills?
Also realize that the American public doesn't "see" those years of hard work and dedication.

 

[Señor S]

I always thought that public outcry over physicians' wages was a little ironic considering that it's one of the few fields that actually provides high fidelity income/class mobility in exchange for years of hard work and dedication.

#TheAmericanDream

Class mobility? Uh...where did you go to med school?

 

[Mad Jack]

On our planet. You tell most people outside of NYC and the surrounding area that you are an investment banker and they think you are a bank teller.

lol, just about everyone hates ibankers and lawyers. Having lived all over the country, I can say there aren't a whole lot of people that wouldn't want to throw you out of their home if you told them you were a "Wall Street banker" in common parlance. Lawyers are generally viewed as devious snakes, pretty much like they always have been, going back literally hundreds of years. Consultants have such nebulous job titles that they can fly under the radar.

 

[PL198]

99 % of people's hatreds for occupations comes from income. lawyers are the only exception, in which case it's pretty clear why people wouldn't like them unless they need one.

 

[Successful BM]

I also think historical context deserves a little attention. Now more than ever, healthcare in the US is under a lot of scrutiny. And just like anything else that ends up under the public policy microscope, there's a lot of finger pointing and witch hunts. Physicians have always been the centerpiece of modern medicine, even though these days there is a whole spectrum of different healthcare professionals that may or may not contribute to the perceived ills of our healthcare system. Back in my grandma's day, there was no reason to ever doubt a doctor's competence, and everyone had the utmost respect for any words that came out of a physician's mouth. Now, all I hear from my mom is how all her doctors are idiots. Ehh. Times change.

 

[DermViser]

I also think historical context deserves a little attention. Now more than ever, healthcare in the US is under a lot of scrutiny. And just like anything else that ends up under the public policy microscope, there's a lot of finger pointing and witch hunts. Physicians have always been the centerpiece of modern medicine, even though these days there is a whole spectrum of different healthcare professionals that may or may not contribute to the perceived ills of our healthcare system. Back in my grandma's day, there was no reason to ever doubt a doctor's competence, and everyone had the utmost respect for any words that came out of a physician's mouth. Now, all I hear from my mom is how all her doctors are idiots. Ehh. Times change.

Yes, pretty much since now healthcare costs are eating a HUGE part of the budget, the media is putting a magnifying glass on the entire industry, top to bottom. What's sad is that our generation will be paying for it for decades to come due to malfeasance by much older doctors (i.e. abusing fee for service, having abundant residency spots available). Heck you even have some medical students who believe that doctors are selfish and greedy and believe that we should do single payer and don't mind working for the govt.

 

[Psai]

Doctors are the face of healthcare. You have people who are being screwed by insurance companies, hospitals and the government. But people who hate obamacare won't be seeing the people who drafted the law or the politicians who voted for it. They just see an enormous bill and assume that it all goes to the doctor. All this meaningful use crap and emrs full of crap that you have to steer through to get some useful information leads to doctors having no time for the patients they are supposed to be caring for. The people in charge just focus on meaningless metrics, numbers and graphs. Patients and doctors are unhappy and the people who are actually profiting stay quiet behind the scenes

 

[vokey588]

Doctors get more flak than investment bankers? On what planet?

There have been only a few overtly anti-doctor pieces in the mainstream media, which of course this board fixates on. Much more common is criticism of insurance executives. But to the extent that doctors are targets for a lot of criticism, it's because

1. Healthcare costs are ridiculous, and doctors, as the people who make treatment decisions, bear at least some of the responsibility for that
2. Physician pay:treatment outcome ratio (if there were such a thing) in the United States is pretty mediocre

Agreed. The health care reform debate ravaged insurance executives, and the entire 2012 election we heard the president refer to bankers as the "fat cats on Wall Street." Bankers are widely blamed by the public for the recession.

News organizations have taken to reporting on the cost and quality of the American health care system. Guess what, doctors are on the frontline of health care so they will have a prominent role in the articles. The "Paying 'Til it Hurts" NY times series is a good example.

 

[BurghStudent]

I think a lot of it is because society has changed. A lot of jobs in the United States have evaporated and more people have lost their jobs esp. in times of recession. To be honest, I side with them. The middle class has been effectively hollowed out in terms of jobs and social mobility in this country. So naturally there will a twinge of jealousy of those seeing a physician esp. if they've badly been treated by one. Physicians are in a field that is virtually recession proof. They're also easy to see. You can't just go up and see a Wall Street corporate investment banker, lawyer, etc. They work behind the scenes.

This administration is very much anti-physician. Look at the rhetoric used again physicians about bilking the system by Obama and others when health reform was being put together? The people he has hired believe doctors (specifically specialists) are cheating the system and that they make too much money (w/bad outcomes)

I also think a lot of Obamacare will involve pressuring certain actors in the system to accept it. The editorial board at the New York Times fully advocates for the full implementation of Obamacare. Physicians and hospitals have been resisting it in terms of the Obamacare exchange plans. So what better way to strong arm them and start writing articles on high hospital costs, doctors salaries, and beating up on those oh so greedy, mean, specialists?

As far as getting the real idea, you might want to talk to physicians outside of your family. You will be practicing in a MUCH MUCH different environment than your family ever will.

So essentially, the NYTimes is Obama's mouthpiece. Is there no independent journalism anymore in this country, or is that what YouTube is? What the hell happened to the fourth estate that kept our government responsible? Does no one else see the ridiculous conflicts of interest between media/Hollywood and government?

 

[DermViser]

Agreed. The health care reform debate ravaged insurance executives, and the entire 2012 election we heard the president refer to bankers as the "fat cats on Wall Street." Bankers are widely blamed by the public for the recession.

News organizations have taken to reporting on the cost and quality of the American health care system. Guess what, doctors are on the frontline of health care so they will have a prominent role in the articles. The "Paying 'Til it Hurts" NY times series is a good example.

Except we now know that Wall Street willingly partook in selling subprime mortgages knowing they were going to fail. There was a Goldman Sachs employee, Greg Smith, who detailed in his article how exactly people operated at Goldman Sachs and why he left.

 

[DermViser]

So essentially, the NYTimes is Obama's mouthpiece. Is there no independent journalism anymore in this country, or is that what YouTube is? What the hell happened to the fourth estate that kept our government responsible? Does no one else see the ridiculous conflicts of interest between media/Hollywood and government?

I don't know about Obama mouthpiece. It's definitely liberal - at least when it comes to lecturing. Definitely not when it comes to its own house.
Not at all surprising, when you see a lot of people in govt. actually married to people in media and people who leave govt. becoming network reporters and contributors.

 

[Priapism4tooLong]

There is a lot of anti-doctor sentiment in the media, whether direct (docs make too much, docs don’t care about patients, etc.) or indirect (nurses provide same level of care, etc.), but seemingly fewer pieces supporting doctors and fewer pieces criticizing similarly competitive fields. I understand that there will always be those people who attempt to criticize others in society who typically make more money or (debatably) garner more respect. I also understand that taking good care of patients of patients is far more important to practicing physicians than dedicating time to defending the profession in the media.

But the fact that there is less criticism of corporate lawyers, investment bankers, and consultants, which many doctors could have been (especially if they went to a competitive ugrad), is absurd to me. The sole purpose of these corporate jobs is to make money (and they usually make more, and sometimes make much more, than physicians) and there is historically a general anti-lower/middle class mantra in these businesses ripe for being ripped apart in the media. On the other hand, the main purpose of being a physician is to treat and better society. Yet despite this (minus occupy wall street, which was definitely significant) the number of anti-doctor pieces seems to far out number anti-other competitive profession pieces.

My question is two fold:

1) Why do doctors get so much flack in the media, especially when compared to other similarly competitive professions and

2) How can this be changed?

Disclaimer: I’m applying to med school. My only real knowledge of the medical profession in society comes from having several family members as attending physicians.

1) People hate doctors, because one people hate being sick, if the doctor can't do anything for them or don't like their treatment = complain. Example, patient comes with a history of smoking for 30 years and has quit like 2 years ago. Gets lung cancer, family is pissed because there's nothing you can do and he doesn't smoke anymore so he should be ok. and they say you aren't doing your job. IM DOING MY JOB YOU IDIOTS what can i do if you killed yourself. You can't keep everyone happy. I hate it when people say doctors make to much money. We go through the most gruesome education, we work as hard as anyone else and we have more responsibility as professionals than most people, and we get blamed when people die. You get idiot doctors but most doctors are smart and competent. Some people just straight up don't like people who are "well to do". Too much hate.

2) it can never be changed, you can't control how people think, thats not our job.

All the best with med school

 

[Beargryllz]

Doctors are probably the most revered people on the planet

What the hell gave you the idea that the media does anything except endlessly praise our devotion, intelligence, work ethic, and strong morals?

Do you ever like, turn on the television, browse the internet, or read anything?

 

[Sweet Orange Juice]

Only in USA will these things happen.

 

[W19]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/28/are-u-s-doctors-paid-too-much/

The american media has become partisan hack... Why physicians are being scrutinized so much? Do these understand what people have to go thru in med school?

 

[DermViser]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/28/are-u-s-doctors-paid-too-much/

The american media has become partisan hack... Why physicians are being scrutinized so much? Do these understand what people have to go thru in med school?

Even if they understood - they don't care.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/28/are-u-s-doctors-paid-too-much/

The american media has become partisan hack... Why physicians are being scrutinized so much? Do these understand what people have to go thru in med school?

Does what one has to "go through" as part of their voluntary training really matter with regard to compensation?

Of course not. It's the value of the good or service (or perception of value in that good or service) that mandates your pay.

 

[PL198]

Does what one has to "go through" as part of their voluntary training really matter with regard to compensation?

Of course not. It's the value of the good or service (or perception of value in that good or service) that mandates your pay.

they're related. The higher the barriers to entry into a market, the less supply there is and thus compensation increases comparable to other products where a supply is higher.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

they're related. The higher the barriers to entry into a market, the less supply there is and thus compensation increases comparable to other products where a supply is higher.

Yes, but no one gives 1/8th of a crap about what you "go through."

 

[DermViser]

Yes, but no one gives 1/8th of a crap about what you "go through."

Then they shouldn't be shocked when their insurance has very narrow networks.

 

[PL198]

Yes, but no one gives 1/8th of a crap about what you "go through."

Right, but they don't have to worry about that , it's accounted for in the supply. Just like how everyone says being a pro athlete is so easy or whatever and they're overpaid. Well it clearly isn't, or more people would do it.

 

[KnuxNole]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/28/are-u-s-doctors-paid-too-much/

The american media has become partisan hack... Why physicians are being scrutinized so much? Do these understand what people have to go thru in med school?

The general public doesn't care about the training, they want that wealth too.

 

[W19]

The general public doesn't care about the training, they want that wealth too.

Like an above poster said, I want to make what LeBron James makes, but I have to be LeBron James first... I will make no apology for what I earn when I become an attending... The US public is so stupid and can be manipulated so easily.

 

[KnuxNole]

Like an above poster said, I want to make what LeBron James makes, but I have to be LeBron James first... I will make no apology for what I earn when I become an attending... The US public is so stupid and can be manipulated so easily.

This is nothing new 😛

As we all know, the average person wants their cake and eats it too. Everyone wants to make what LeBron James makes WITHOUT putting in the work.

 

[PL198]

This is nothing new 😛

As we all know, the average person wants their cake and eats it too. Everyone wants to make what LeBron James makes WITHOUT putting in the work.

I've never heard someone who is aggressively pursuing making themselves a more attractive candidate for any position so they could receive higher compensation ever complain about the compensation they were currently receiving. Must be the system holding them back, oh wait LOL