Comments on: The High Price of Becoming A Doctor http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2008/01/04/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/ Research and discussion of the Colorado health insurance industry and the healthcare crisis in America. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:14:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jessica Hughes http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2008/01/04/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/comment-page-1/#comment-14138 Jessica Hughes Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:04:36 +0000 http://www.insuranceshoppers.net/blog1/2008/01/01/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/#comment-14138 Outrider: I don't think anyone is suggesting we feel sorry for doctors. The problem is with demonizing them for their supposedly massive profits and using that falsehood to convince American citizens to bring the force of government to bear on these people. Are you in a job where the government sets your salary? Does the government penalize you by lowering your expected compensation if you try to please your customer instead of the government? This is what is being proposed for doctors, and when it happens, they won't just whine; they will exit the medical profession en masse as well they should. Outrider:

I don’t think anyone is suggesting we feel sorry for doctors. The problem is with demonizing them for their supposedly massive profits and using that falsehood to convince American citizens to bring the force of government to bear on these people. Are you in a job where the government sets your salary? Does the government penalize you by lowering your expected compensation if you try to please your customer instead of the government?

This is what is being proposed for doctors, and when it happens, they won’t just whine; they will exit the medical profession en masse as well they should.

]]> By: outrider http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2008/01/04/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/comment-page-1/#comment-13139 outrider Thu, 14 May 2009 14:05:27 +0000 http://www.insuranceshoppers.net/blog1/2008/01/01/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/#comment-13139 I do NOT agree that the cost of education should factor into what a physician is paid. Consider: veterinarians graduate with equivalent educational debt (current average $100K+). About half of veterinarians go on to complete specialty training, equivalent to a medical residency. But the average salary for all veterinarians (around $84K) is lower than the average salary of a physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, pharmacist (we beat psychologists by a hair). The average starting salary for a new graduate veterinarian is around $50K, but it won't spike like that of a new graduate physician after completion of a residency. Most veterinarians didn't enter this profession for the money, obviously. And most don't have any expectation that their clients will pay $20,000 for a c/s in a dog, even though that's what it cost one of my human friends. So I have no sympathy for physicians with educational debt, "struggling" to survive on $250K. They chose their profession, just as I chose mine. Stop whining! The couple described above managed to accrue more than twice the average educational debt (almost $250K each vs. $100K each). How, I do not know, and I do not care. And I'd love to know why they think it's a fine idea to have a child immediately (rather than work and pay down some debt). That was also their choice. Live with it. I do NOT agree that the cost of education should factor into what a physician is paid. Consider: veterinarians graduate with equivalent educational debt (current average $100K+). About half of veterinarians go on to complete specialty training, equivalent to a medical residency. But the average salary for all veterinarians (around $84K) is lower than the average salary of a physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, pharmacist (we beat psychologists by a hair). The average starting salary for a new graduate veterinarian is around $50K, but it won’t spike like that of a new graduate physician after completion of a residency.

Most veterinarians didn’t enter this profession for the money, obviously. And most don’t have any expectation that their clients will pay $20,000 for a c/s in a dog, even though that’s what it cost one of my human friends.

So I have no sympathy for physicians with educational debt, “struggling” to survive on $250K. They chose their profession, just as I chose mine. Stop whining!

The couple described above managed to accrue more than twice the average educational debt (almost $250K each vs. $100K each). How, I do not know, and I do not care. And I’d love to know why they think it’s a fine idea to have a child immediately (rather than work and pay down some debt). That was also their choice. Live with it.

]]> By: medaholic http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2008/01/04/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/comment-page-1/#comment-13137 medaholic Tue, 12 May 2009 18:51:34 +0000 http://www.insuranceshoppers.net/blog1/2008/01/01/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/#comment-13137 This is the hidden cost of medical salaries. The education debts, opportunity cost, long training should all be factored in when considering a doctor's salary. This is the hidden cost of medical salaries. The education debts, opportunity cost, long training should all be factored in when considering a doctor’s salary.

]]> By: pathtalk.org – Grand Rounds - Vol 4., No. 16 http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2008/01/04/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/comment-page-1/#comment-8029 pathtalk.org – Grand Rounds - Vol 4., No. 16 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:05:53 +0000 http://www.insuranceshoppers.net/blog1/2008/01/01/the-high-price-of-becoming-a-doctor/#comment-8029 [...] Colorado Health Insurance Insider examines the high price of becoming a [...] [...] Colorado Health Insurance Insider examines the high price of becoming a [...]

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