* Nilf's post history CLEARLY shows that he is truly a path resident, and is not a troll. If you really plan on being a med student, learn to do some research before saying anything.
* Yes, doctors are losing independence to insurance companies and the government. They're losing their scope of practice to CRNAs, RNs, LPNs, PAs, etc. CYA medicine literally
dictates how we practice medicine today.
You know, I hear this "intellectually stimulating career" stuff from pre-meds a lot, and it makes me wonder if any of them are paying attention when shadowing in doctor's offices.
If you do primary care, the majority of your practice will be managing cocaine-related chest pain, or questionable asthma exacerbation, or "colds." None of this stuff is particularly intellectually stimulating.
At work today, I spent ONE hour learning about electrolyte abnormalities - and THREE hours on the phone with social workers, physical therapists, and nutritionists. Basically, I played "social worker" today for my patients. This is what my residents do a lot, too. There's some intellectual stimulation, but a lot of it is just trying to navigate our social services systems.
Why does every pre-med seem to assume that doing international volunteer work is easy to arrange? It's not. If you're in private practice, your schedule is more flexible - but your partners will hate you if you just leave for 3 months and force them to cover your patients. Doctors without Borders doesn't need THAT many people.
They're in pain, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they need a doctor.
If you come to the ER because you have the "flu," what do you want the doctor to do for you? No, antibiotics will not help.
Sure, your chest is hurting right now, and your heart feels like it will jump out of your ribcage. Snorting cocaine has a tendency to do that to you.
(Which is, by the way, EXACTLY what we told you the last time you came to the ER for "chest pain.") And no, we will not give you a voucher for a taxicab, or even the bus. If you hadn't bought the cocaine in the first place, you'd have enough money for the subway, AND you wouldn't have chest pain - solving two problems at once!
I canNOT help you if you insist on lying to me. We'll get a lot farther if you just admit that you cheated on your wife with a hooker. I may look young, but I know enough to be certain that "jock itch" does NOT present with chancres. And nobody gets that kind of purulent discharge just from using a public toilet.
And please stop playing members of the staff against each other. If you tell me something, and then tell the nurse the polar opposite, and we compare notes and realize that you're just playing games with us, we WILL find a reason to do serial ABGs on you. Just stop wasting our time, and we'll all be much happier.
Grand words indeed. And, from your personal experience, it's obvious that you like healthcare. Fine.
But why do you have to be a DOCTOR? Why didn't you want to be a physician's assistant, or a nurse, or a physical therapist, or a CRNA, or an EMT? They're also important healthcare providers, but with a smaller opportunity cost. This is the question that pre-meds never seem to answer very well. They just keep repeating the same things ("But I really like medicine!") over and over again.
* You will be forced to change your practice of medicine based on your fear of getting sued. The medical malpractice situation is getting insane in many parts of the country.
Your fear of getting sued will force you to complete a lot of extra unnecessary paperwork. You'll be forced to work up patients that you KNOW do not have anything wrong with them, but, again - fear of getting sued.
* Some specialties are in danger of losing their scope of practice. Anesthesia is the biggest one (i.e. CRNAs are taking over in some parts of the country), although family practice may see a bigger threat in coming years.
If you think it's "all about money," then you clearly haven't investigated medicine enough.... Read more about frivolous lawsuits, and, for instance, how the INSANELY high medical malpractice rates in PA have forced some hospitals and maternity wards to close down. Doctors are losing power and losing ground in some parts of the country...it's a little discouraging to be a third year med student, and really wonder what kind of future you can look forward to, to be honest.