- Joined
- Jul 9, 2000
- Messages
- 435
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Hello,
I am a resident in Anesthesiology. I am sure you know the how difficult it is to get into medical school, how competitive it is. Once I got into medical there are a number, actually four, licensing exams that I have had to take, the money for which has come out of my pocket. Once in residency to be board certified I will need to take two additional exams, then I will need to take recertification exams for the rest of my life. Patient responsibility will ultimately fall into my hands, meaning that my license and the money I make may be at risk if there is any error on my behalf or if I fall to be aware of any errors committed by those working under me.
With the great deal of sacrifice that comes with being a phyisician, the lengthy hours, the stress involved, the money for tuition and exams, the time needed to constantly study, it is a wonder that people enter into medicine. However once I become a practicing physician I will have job security and also will make a good sum of money. However what I have come to notice is that the amount of money that I will be making is in no way comparable to the hours I have devoted to the field I have chosen.
Physician Assistants who are extenders of Physicians make on average seventy to greater than two hundred thousand dollars. I am appalled that someone that gets a masters degree can make easily greater than one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars with only two to three years on the job. Most Physician Assistants I know make more than most Physicians I know that have been working many years. I feel that this is a great injustice. I feel if government is looking to save health care dollars the fastest and best way to do it would be to make PAs(physicians assistants) and NPs (nurse practioners) jobs no longer exist. The jobs could be replaced by adding the number of residency spots that these physician extenders are practicing in. That is basically the job of a PA or NP, they are junior residents to medical attendings. The income structure is definitely flawed and should not be allowed to exist. A PA comes out of two years training and is making more than most physicians after a few years on the job. Whereas a medical school graduate after four years of training, must then train an additional 3-8 or more years where the pay is far below that of a PA, and then once that physician is done training will on average earn less than a PA with 5-10 years experience. This is a system that should not exist, it is not fair to physicians and PA's and NP's actually "steal" training from residents. Surgical cases and just the day to day dealing of patients, and learning one on one with an attending is many times monopolized by the PA's on a service. This should not be condoned, allowed, or continued with.
I am a resident in Anesthesiology. I am sure you know the how difficult it is to get into medical school, how competitive it is. Once I got into medical there are a number, actually four, licensing exams that I have had to take, the money for which has come out of my pocket. Once in residency to be board certified I will need to take two additional exams, then I will need to take recertification exams for the rest of my life. Patient responsibility will ultimately fall into my hands, meaning that my license and the money I make may be at risk if there is any error on my behalf or if I fall to be aware of any errors committed by those working under me.
With the great deal of sacrifice that comes with being a phyisician, the lengthy hours, the stress involved, the money for tuition and exams, the time needed to constantly study, it is a wonder that people enter into medicine. However once I become a practicing physician I will have job security and also will make a good sum of money. However what I have come to notice is that the amount of money that I will be making is in no way comparable to the hours I have devoted to the field I have chosen.
Physician Assistants who are extenders of Physicians make on average seventy to greater than two hundred thousand dollars. I am appalled that someone that gets a masters degree can make easily greater than one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars with only two to three years on the job. Most Physician Assistants I know make more than most Physicians I know that have been working many years. I feel that this is a great injustice. I feel if government is looking to save health care dollars the fastest and best way to do it would be to make PAs(physicians assistants) and NPs (nurse practioners) jobs no longer exist. The jobs could be replaced by adding the number of residency spots that these physician extenders are practicing in. That is basically the job of a PA or NP, they are junior residents to medical attendings. The income structure is definitely flawed and should not be allowed to exist. A PA comes out of two years training and is making more than most physicians after a few years on the job. Whereas a medical school graduate after four years of training, must then train an additional 3-8 or more years where the pay is far below that of a PA, and then once that physician is done training will on average earn less than a PA with 5-10 years experience. This is a system that should not exist, it is not fair to physicians and PA's and NP's actually "steal" training from residents. Surgical cases and just the day to day dealing of patients, and learning one on one with an attending is many times monopolized by the PA's on a service. This should not be condoned, allowed, or continued with.
