Is the Obama Honeymoon Over?

[Valmy]

Sounds like horseshit to me.

I know quite a few doctor's. Some of them work incredibly hard, some not that hard. They all are rather well paid though.

I am not lying. 

It gets better as you get older.  It is a truly brutal trial by fire for years until you get established though.

How long have your doctors been in practice?

[Berkut]

Sounds like horseshit to me.

I know quite a few doctor's. Some of them work incredibly hard, some not that hard. They all are rather well paid though.

I am not lying. 

It gets better as you get older.  It is a truly brutal trial by fire for years until you get established though.

How long have your doctors been in practice?

Well, the one who is a neurologist just started. He is being sued already though, hasn't been in practice for a year yet.

The others vary quite a bit, and for most I don't really know.

But really, a professional person who has to work very hard at the beginning to establish themselves? Well, duh. Isn't that perfectly normal for professionals?

[Malthus]

The funny thing is that abot 15% of Canadians lack a primary physician due to lack of doctors, which is about the same percentage that lack health insurance in the US.

The doctor shortage in Canada is mainly a rural issue. Physicians do not want to live in remote places, of which Canada has more than its share. Rural areas also tend to be less affluent. No problem getting a doc in Toronto.

Ironically, the only solution to this problem is some sort of government action.

[Valmy]

But really, a professional person who has to work very hard at the beginning to establish themselves? Well, duh. Isn't that perfectly normal for professionals?

To the extent that they do?  No.  Compared to the other people I know with professional degrees the doctors have by far the most brutal ordeal I have ever seen.  I would rather be a lawyer or an engineer or anything else any day.  It is not even comparable in my mind.

But anyway I think we can at least agree it is not a career for the faint of heart.

[Valmy]

The doctor shortage in Canada is mainly a rural issue. Physicians do not want to live in remote places, of which Canada has more than its share. Rural areas also tend to be less affluent. No problem getting a doc in Toronto.

Ironically, the only solution to this problem is some sort of government action.

This is why political discussions are so frustrating, people bring up these stats and then explain them from their political bias and I have no idea if they are presenting the relevent information or not.  What is true, or some decent approximation, is so hard to really discover.

[Ed Anger]

I wanted to be a gynecologist.

[Berkut]

The doctor shortage in Canada is mainly a rural issue. Physicians do not want to live in remote places, of which Canada has more than its share. Rural areas also tend to be less affluent. No problem getting a doc in Toronto.

Ironically, the only solution to this problem is some sort of government action.

This is why political discussions are so frustrating, people bring up these stats and then explain them from their political bias and I have no idea if they are presenting the relevent information or not.  What is true, or some decent approximation, is so hard to really discover.

Indeed. Such is always the problem when discussing anything with the Faithful. They only look at the data from a very narrow perspective.

[Malthus]

I wanted to be a gynecologist.

Nothing preventing you from pusuing this as an amateur. 

[Berkut]

I wanted to be a gynecologist.

No thanks. it sounds good in theory, but when you consider that

A) You will almost immediately become incredibly bored with the female vagina, and
B) You will have to deal with them when they are not exactly as enticing as one might hope....


PASS. :puke:

[Ed Anger]

I wanted to be a gynecologist.

Nothing preventing you from pusuing this as an amateur. 

yes, there is. A total lock of rubber gloves.

[crazy canuck]

Canuck, you do realize a pretty small % of Americans are covered by HMOs, right?

No, I dont.  That is why I asking the questions.  My understanding of the US system is limited to the fact that there is a whole spectrum of ways people access health care from not at all to best in the world.

[crazy canuck]

The funny thing is that abot 15% of Canadians lack a primary physician due to lack of doctors, which is about the same percentage that lack health insurance in the US.

Not sure why you are comparing the two.  Canadians who lack a primary physician (which means they dont have their own family doctor) still have access to free health care provided by clinics and hospitals.  Ineffect the clinic becomes their primary care giver.

What happens to the 15% who have no health insurance in the US?

[crazy canuck]

And there are approvals that are required for your healthcare (at times) as well.

Not sure what you are talking about.  You may have noticed that BB's main complaint is that a Canadian doctor can and does perform any procedure they deem medically necessary without any approval - unlike the US.

[ulmont]

Canuck, you do realize a pretty small % of Americans are covered by HMOs, right?

No, I dont.  That is why I asking the questions.  My understanding of the US system is limited to the fact that there is a whole spectrum of ways people access health care from not at all to best in the world.

I'm not so sure it's a small percentage.  This 2006 USA Today poll shows 18% HMO, this 1999 Reason article claims 85%, and Kaiser shows 64 million Americans as of July 2008, so 20% or so:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-10-15-health-poll1.htm
http://www.reason.com/news/show/30907.html
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=348&cat=7&sub=85&yr=71&typ=1&sort=a

PPOs do seem to be more popular, though.

[crazy canuck]

The doctor shortage in Canada is mainly a rural issue. Physicians do not want to live in remote places, of which Canada has more than its share. Rural areas also tend to be less affluent. No problem getting a doc in Toronto.

Ironically, the only solution to this problem is some sort of government action.

This is why political discussions are so frustrating, people bring up these stats and then explain them from their political bias and I have no idea if they are presenting the relevent information or not.  What is true, or some decent approximation, is so hard to really discover.

What is so hard to understand about doctors preferring to work in urban rather then poor rural areas?