Why does the US residency/career path appeal to you?

[bvan95]

Hi all,

I'm beginning my medical school journey this coming July in Singapore. I am a US-college grad and was fixated on going to medical school there. After a change of heart, I decided against that.

But I would still like to know, why does working in the US appeal to y'all? With the sky-rocketed healthcare price, lack of transparency, and stability (i.e. the health insurance exchange system, treatment pricing, etc), the ever-powerful pharmaceutical industry, it doesn't seem too appetizing to me.

I really would like to just hear your different thoughts and perspectives- not trying to start a fight or anything ^.^

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[IMG69]

This is one of the easiest questions I answer at least once a week (from my friends). I'm a UK med student with an American passport for reference. The US program is so much shorter I almost see no reason to not go down it, I'm a NZ'er (born and raised) and to specialize in a surgical category can take almost 15 years post med school, you have to build up a strong enough resume to apply to the training programs while also competing against those who've been rejected from the previous years who may have who knows how many years of resume building ahead of you.

I'd rather be a surgeon in 5 years than in 15, plus I think we can all safely say that empirically the US is the best place to learn Medicine in the world.

 

[deleted480308]

I’m not switching countries for a job

 

[bvan95]

This is one of the easiest questions I answer at least once a week (from my friends). I'm a UK med student with an American passport for reference. The US program is so much shorter I almost see no reason to not go down it, I'm a NZ'er (born and raised) and to specialize in a surgical category can take almost 15 years post med school, you have to build up a strong enough resume to apply to the training programs while also competing against those who've been rejected from the previous years who may have who knows how many years of resume building ahead of you.

I'd rather be a surgeon in 5 years than in 15, plus I think we can all safely say that empirically the US is the best place to learn Medicine in the world.

That's a very good point about the shortened length in terms of residency! I guess if you have an American passport or are permanent resident/citizen then that's a different story ^.^ Also since you used the term "empirically" do you have any data to back that claim up?

 

[bvan95]

I’m not switching countries for a job

So you are an American right?

 

[Stagg737]

Hi all,

I'm beginning my medical school journey this coming July in Singapore. I am a US-college grad and was fixated on going to medical school there. After a change of heart, I decided against that.

But I would still like to know, why does working in the US appeal to y'all? With the sky-rocketed healthcare price, lack of transparency, and stability (i.e. the health insurance exchange system, treatment pricing, etc), the ever-powerful pharmaceutical industry, it doesn't seem too appetizing to me.

I really would like to just hear your different thoughts and perspectives- not trying to start a fight or anything ^.^

US citizen here. I have no real desire in particular to stay in the US, but I wouldn't want to practice medicine anywhere else. High income, relatively low cost of living, true shortage in my field allowing me to pretty much sculpt my career as I please, as well as just the convenience of being in a country where I'm a native speaker makes it a no-brainer. That being said, there are plenty of areas within the U.S. that I wouldn't even consider working unless you paid me a 7-figure salary (because I'd be that miserable living there).

I also think several of your points are over-blown or poorly understood by the general public and even pre-med and med students. Big-pharma is not the monster that most people make it out to be, at least not to the extent that many people think. I've never found transparency to be an issue if you're willing to pick up a phone and make some calls. I also don't find stability in general to be that much of an issue, at least not in relation to many other countries as many of the "great" systems have faced major crises in the past 5-7 years or are legitimately awful when you speak to people who have worked in both those systems and the US (UK, Canada, Italy, France, Australia to name a few). So none of those points really make me want to practice elsewhere as similar problems exist in other systems.

The increasing price of insurance (health, malpractice, etc) as well as the bureaucratic hoops that you have to jump to in order to be reimbursed in PP does seem frustrating imo, but from what I understand those problems exist in most other countries as well, so not really a reason I'd leave the US.

The biggest thing for me is just that I'm in psychiatry and working in a country where there would be a language barrier would be a disservice to my patients and frustrating for myself. So there's probably only 4-5 countries I'd even consider working in outside the US, and I have no desire to live in any of them other than 1.

 

[bvan95]

US citizen here. I have no real desire in particular to stay in the US, but I wouldn't want to practice medicine anywhere else. High income, relatively low cost of living, true shortage in my field allowing me to pretty much sculpt my career as I please, as well as just the convenience of being in a country where I'm a native speaker makes it a no-brainer. That being said, there are plenty of areas within the U.S. that I wouldn't even consider working unless you paid me a 7-figure salary (because I'd be that miserable living there).

I also think several of your points are over-blown or poorly understood by the general public and even pre-med and med students. Big-pharma is not the monster that most people make it out to be, at least not to the extent that many people think. I've never found transparency to be an issue if you're willing to pick up a phone and make some calls. I also don't find stability in general to be that much of an issue, at least not in relation to many other countries as many of the "great" systems have faced major crises in the past 5-7 years or are legitimately awful when you speak to people who have worked in both those systems and the US (UK, Canada, Italy, France, Australia to name a few). So none of those points really make me want to practice elsewhere as similar problems exist in other systems.

The increasing price of insurance (health, malpractice, etc) as well as the bureaucratic hoops that you have to jump to in order to be reimbursed in PP does seem frustrating imo, but from what I understand those problems exist in most other countries as well, so not really a reason I'd leave the US.

The biggest thing for me is just that I'm in psychiatry and working in a country where there would be a language barrier would be a disservice to my patients and frustrating for myself. So there's probably only 4-5 countries I'd even consider working in outside the US, and I have no desire to live in any of them other than 1.

Thank you for your detailed explanation! As I mentioned, I'm still a pre-med so a lot of the things I feel/think about the US system right now is just based on my readings and limited exposure I do have to ask, do you feel, generally, that the US provides better care/is a better place to practice than many similarly developed countries or at the end of the day, there's no difference and one just finds their own *ideal* practicing place (within their capability)?

 

[deleted480308]

So you are an American right?

I have access to canada if I wanted to be there. I don’t.

I think america is a better place in general. I have a big libertarian streak wouldn’t like the larger intrusion of govt into my life/freedom that canada would present

 

[IMG69]

So you are an American right?

Technically (due to my father) but as I said, born and bred NZ and now studying in the UK.

I would still go regardless if I had the passport or not. My plan involves me continuing my training back home after the American residency anyway.