- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 193
- Reaction score
- 35
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- Attending Physician
Let me give you a history lesson. When the Clinton administration attempted to reform healthcare, it put a scare into quite a few people.
First, large physician groups became concerned about future reimbursements. They became reluctant to hire new residency trained physicians to join their groups. This was most apparent in Anes and Rads.
So, for a brief period, docs finishing programs in these fields had a very tight job market. I remember a Path professor from Oklahoma Univ telling our class that Anes grads were unable to find jobs. Med students then avoided these residencies like the plague. They all wanted primary care. They bought into a "gatekeeper" concept that FM would somehow control the pursestrings and be the beneficiary of reform. A few years down the road(no pun intended) there was an amzing shortage of available Gas and Rads residents to fill positions and the result was an incredible bull market in these fields.
We now face the same dynamic. Reform hangs over our heads. Large practices are reluctant to hire. Students will shun thes programs. Gas programs will hire CRNAs to perform work otherwise done by the MD residents. And, the med students who are not afraid to enter a Gas program in the midst of a poor job market will see everything break the other way as they leave training.
We'll see in 4 or 5 years if history repeats itself.
First, large physician groups became concerned about future reimbursements. They became reluctant to hire new residency trained physicians to join their groups. This was most apparent in Anes and Rads.
So, for a brief period, docs finishing programs in these fields had a very tight job market. I remember a Path professor from Oklahoma Univ telling our class that Anes grads were unable to find jobs. Med students then avoided these residencies like the plague. They all wanted primary care. They bought into a "gatekeeper" concept that FM would somehow control the pursestrings and be the beneficiary of reform. A few years down the road(no pun intended) there was an amzing shortage of available Gas and Rads residents to fill positions and the result was an incredible bull market in these fields.
We now face the same dynamic. Reform hangs over our heads. Large practices are reluctant to hire. Students will shun thes programs. Gas programs will hire CRNAs to perform work otherwise done by the MD residents. And, the med students who are not afraid to enter a Gas program in the midst of a poor job market will see everything break the other way as they leave training.
We'll see in 4 or 5 years if history repeats itself.
