Reform

[Medstudentquest]

I've been reading aobut healthcare reform issues and so forth. I don't understand why we as doctors are targeted all the time, and our salaries are cut. What profession sees continuous cuts in their income?

And why is it that nurses pay is not cut? In California, some are making close to 90k! They are starting at almost what a pediatrician/FM doc is making after years of training. NP/PA also make close to 100k. why isn't their pay cut? Ultimately midlevels cannot function without a physician, and we go through ridiculous amounts of education and debt. It we start making the same as midlevels, what is the point of going to medical school to become a doctor, and all the debt, liability that we have?

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[Top Gun]

I've been reading aobut healthcare reform issues and so forth. I don't understand why we as doctors are targeted all the time, and our salaries are cut. What profession sees continuous cuts in their income?

And why is it that nurses pay is not cut? In California, some are making close to 90k! They are starting at almost what a pediatrician/FM doc is making after years of training. NP/PA also make close to 100k. why isn't their pay cut? Ultimately midlevels cannot function without a physician, and we go through ridiculous amounts of education and debt. It we start making the same as midlevels, what is the point of going to medical school to become a doctor, and all the debt, liability that we have?

Because the general public sees us physicians as rich, greedy, extremely overpaid fat cats, and nurses as underpaid, altruistic caregivers who are the only ones that truly care about the patients. Its all about perception. That is why physicians' salaries will keep getting cut, and there is not much that we can do about it, unfortunately. The public doesn't understand that a huge portion of physicians income goes toward various expenses, including office overhead, med school debt, malpractice insurances, taxes, salaries for office staff, etc... Until the public manages to see all sides of the issue, physicians' salaries will continue to take a beating.

 

[peppy]

I think a big part of the problem is that a lot of physicians are unable or unwilling to take the time to work together to advocate for our profession's interests in the political realm.
I think many of us are just focused on wanting to get through our training and don't make it a priority to try to protect our profession.

 

[smq123]

Moved to Topics in Healthcare.