Underserved communities?

[ZorkDork1]

Hello!

I'm interested in working with urban underserved communities post medical school.
I was wondering if ANY kind of doctor can work in this particular sector.

For instance, I can easily see how a primary care physician or an emergency medicine doc can find work in a free clinic.
But if you specialize, say in thoracic surgery or oncology, is it still realistic to work in such a setting? I feel like you would need the resources of a big hospital or research institution to provide such complex care.

Thanks! Sorry if this seems like such an obvious question.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Krupke]

You might be able to do some volunteer stuff in a free clinic as a surgeon. But there are plenty of medical centers who serve underserved areas in all specialties (i.e UChicago, Tulane/LSU New Orleans, Temple, Cooper Rowan, FIU, Einstein, Rush, etc.) and there are plenty of community hospitals in underserved urban areas where they need people in all specialties.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Yes, it only applies to certain specialties generally. Think about it, if there's 1000 people in a community, and there's one tiny hospital or clinic, which in underserved communities is short on funds, there isn't going to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. They aren't going to hire people who request 300K plus salaries for their field when a free clinic isn't usually a surgical center and there's no need for them.They just want to get an ER doc there 24/7, which I know in my hometown wasn't even possible.

So yeah, that's why you realistically aren't going to work in that kind of setting as a highly specialized doctor

 

[Lost in Translation]

Yes, it only applies to certain specialties generally. Think about it, if there's 1000 people in a community, and there's one tiny hospital or clinic, which in underserved communities is short on funds, there isn't going to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. They aren't going to hire people who request 300K plus salaries for their field when a free clinic isn't usually a surgical center and there's no need for them.They just want to get an ER doc there 24/7, which I know in my hometown wasn't even possible.

So yeah, that's why you realistically aren't going to work in that kind of setting as a highly specialized doctor

I don't think this is correct. Underserved =! don't need specialized care. All humans will have human problems with their bodies, rich or poor or white or black or European or Mexican.

It's that if you work in such a community, don't expect the same salary as those in more affluent areas. You'll still have work.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

I don't think this is correct. Underserved =! don't need specialized care. All humans will have human problems with their bodies, rich or poor or white or black or European or Mexican.

It's that if you work in such a community, don't expect the same salary as those in more affluent areas. You'll still have work.

Well obviously everyone still has the same needs, but if they want to work in a free clinic I don't know any free clinics that do plastic surgery. They are often referred out for that. I don't know of any free clinics which do specialized surgery on site. Given that they are, you know, clinics and not stay-in hospitals

 

[Lost in Translation]

I see your point. OP seems to have a misconception of what it means to serve an underserved patient population.

 

[ZorkDork1]

Say that I'm okay with a low salary, and I just finished a thoracic surgery program. But I am interested in working with patients that can't afford such services.

Are there institutions that facilitate that?

In other words, are there "free clinics" for those that require complex surgery? The costs associated with hiring a specialized doctor subtracted form the patients' bill?

 

[neekzg]

Say that I'm okay with a low salary, and I just finished a thoracic surgery program. But I am interested in working with patients that can't afford such services.

Are there institutions that facilitate that?

In other words, are there "free clinics" for those that require complex surgery? The costs associated with hiring a specialized doctor subtracted form the patients' bill?

Work for a county hospital. You won't find a small free clinic that does surgery on-site, it would require outside referrals to a county hospital.

 

[LizzyM]

Say that I'm okay with a low salary, and I just finished a thoracic surgery program. But I am interested in working with patients that can't afford such services.

Are there institutions that facilitate that?

In other words, are there "free clinics" for those that require complex surgery? The costs associated with hiring a specialized doctor subtracted form the patients' bill?

Most people can't afford complex surgery. The lucky ones have health insurance or are covered by government programs such as the VA or Medicaid. There are rare instances where hospitals and surgeons will waive their fees for a patient in need, often for the good will it brings and perhaps to give staff the opportunity to use specialized skills. For example, a medical team on a service mission might identify a youngster who needs a very specialized surgery that would not be available in her country but that could be done "pro bono" at the big US hospital.

There are some government operated hospitals in the US ("county hospital") that cares for patients without the means to pay whether uninsured, undocumented, etc but I think that there is less willingness to serve those groups as the expectation grows that everyone should sign up for insurance.

If all you want is to work with poor people, there are plenty of segregated (by income) communities in America where you can go and affiliate with a local community hospital, provided that the hospital has a cash flow that it sufficient to meet its payroll and pay its vendors for the things patients need during surgery and during their post-op period.

 

[Psai]

Hello!

I'm interested in working with urban underserved communities post medical school.
I was wondering if ANY kind of doctor can work in this particular sector.

For instance, I can easily see how a primary care physician or an emergency medicine doc can find work in a free clinic.
But if you specialize, say in thoracic surgery or oncology, is it still realistic to work in such a setting? I feel like you would need the resources of a big hospital or research institution to provide such complex care.

Thanks! Sorry if this seems like such an obvious question.

Yeah if you can afford to work for free

 

[Krupke]

Say that I'm okay with a low salary, and I just finished a thoracic surgery program. But I am interested in working with patients that can't afford such services.

Are there institutions that facilitate that?

In other words, are there "free clinics" for those that require complex surgery? The costs associated with hiring a specialized doctor subtracted form the patients' bill?

When I spoke to med students down in New Orleans, they said that basically no one pays for medicine because most of the population is low-income. The state just opened up a 1.1 billion dollar hospital that they are trying to make a destination hospital so they can have at least some paying patients. You can give NOLA a look if that is what you are looking for

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Have you considered drs
w/o borders?

Say that I'm okay with a low salary, and I just finished a thoracic surgery program. But I am interested in working with patients that can't afford such services.

Are there institutions that facilitate that?

In other words, are there "free clinics" for those that require complex surgery? The costs associated with hiring a specialized doctor subtracted form the patients' bill?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Hello!

I'm interested in working with urban underserved communities post medical school.
I was wondering if ANY kind of doctor can work in this particular sector.

For instance, I can easily see how a primary care physician or an emergency medicine doc can find work in a free clinic.
But if you specialize, say in thoracic surgery or oncology, is it still realistic to work in such a setting? I feel like you would need the resources of a big hospital or research institution to provide such complex care.

Thanks! Sorry if this seems like such an obvious question.

As others have mentioned, there are community hospitals that offer low cost specialized care.
Here's an example:
http://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue/html/services/cardiothoracic-team.shtml