Thread: A Health Care Scenario

I have heard this from classmates of other countries. However, European medical students are not required to have college degrees in most cases. Their training as such is considered inferior in the US and so they have to complete residencies here in order to practice where as a US student can practice anywhere after residency (in most other countries). If their is going to be socialized healthcare dictating doc pay, then there should be no such thing as malpractice if you are on a government plan. Doctors should also expect tax payers to pick up every dime of their school debt as well because the government is going to concerned with cutting costs, then help the docs out and nationalize medical education as well. The biggest worry is the kids who become docs from nothing in the US get a lot of debt have no recourse with their creditors. We can't tell them, "we treated a lot of patients and helped society and the people or insurance companies decided not to pay us".
I appreciate the character comment, but I have soo far to go. I just got done with a rural rotation and it was great. The people loved their surgeon and he loved them,(meaning he goes to church with them and knows them by name). I want to be on call every night an work hard, I just don't want to move to a place and care for people and then have to move because I can't run my office. I truly hope I finish a life saving operation and die right after when I am 90 (or however long I make it). I intend to work forever because I love medicine. I have lived near many large cities and worked in them. I have also seen medicine in the third world under a socialist system. I just don't like entitlements, I like people who are grateful, and I have seen little of that in NYC, but I saw it every day in the south.

The IT company is a bad example because that is a dime a dozen and computers can be replaced, people's lives and their well being is my concern. I know and understand what you are saying though. People in rural areas deserve equal care to the cities where the care is often free and better for dead beat drug dealers and illegal immigrants than tax paying responsible citizens.
I see it as only fair to serve them as well because they are least grateful for the care they can get, where in cities they feel entitled. I intend to go to Britain for a rotation and at least I will see the other system in its real form. friends of mine there form the US (my school trains docs for worldwide practice), that there is less waste, but you have to wait or live in pain before you get operations you could get in the US quickly (my example is gall bladder surgery).
Rob, I agree that pricing should be set for ALL medical services and that government or private insurance should have to pay the set price or else be banned from the industry.
Thanks for all the comments though.