The Doctor Thread
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I'm on record as being no huge fan of nurse practitioners. I think their education is too narrow and not deep enough to treat all of the patients they see. What we need, are more doctors.
Sure, there are many foreign doctors clamoring to come to the U.S., but I don't see that as a solution. The doctor who communicates best with his patients, who understands their lifestyles, is the most effective physician.
The best way to increase the number of doctors, particularly the family practice guys, is through an expansion of existing medical schools. There is no shortage of qualified applicants. There are guys who cannot get into med school today, guys with good GPA's and MCAT scores, that would have made it in, just thirty years ago.
Therefore, I propose a twenty percent increase in incoming medical school classes, starting in 2022. I further propose that prior medical school debt be paid by the federal government, for any physician entering residency, if he agrees to a stipulated number of years in the military, VA system or US Public Health system. Military duty would include active duty and reserves.
I further believe that since we are expanding medical school slots, we should also expand residency slots. The expanded slots should come at university, VA and private hospitals, along with neighborhood clinics, with defined rotations between the supporting entities.
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https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/us-medical-school-enrollment-rises-30
According to this it’s not a medical school problem. Its a post graduate problem.
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A lot of that's starting to happen. Medical school application requirements are already being relaxed. Not temporarily, either. They're responding to the virus with every intention of filling the gap you're speaking of.
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@bachophile said in The Doctor Thread:
https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/us-medical-school-enrollment-rises-30
According to this it’s not a medical school problem. Its a post graduate problem.
I already said we need to increase residencies. But I also think for family practice guys, we may be defining our residency sights too narrowly. They don't have to spend their entire residency at a university medical center. Farm those guys out on an occasional 60 or 90 day rotation into a busy group practice.
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@Jolly What do you think about PAs?
Please love yourself.
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@Aqua-Letifer said in The Doctor Thread:
@Jolly What do you think about PAs?
About the same as NP's. They do have their place and they serve a useful function.
But they are not physicians.
