Will people still go through the long hours of study and large amounts of money to be doctors if?

Question

there is not the same promise of wealth under socialized medicine?

Doctors hours are long and difficult they should be paid well they are among the highest in divorce rates. Trust me they may not do the job for the money but with out it it would be hard to keep them.

Answer 1

Great question! I am almost done with Med school and I honestly admit that money is an important factor. So I am not for socialized medicine. I was even in Germany for a clinical elective and the doctors were always complaining about their long hours and miserable pay.

Answer 2

Under any form of socialism, the quality of work lowers. There will still be plenty of doctors, but they will be of lower quality. In other words, since money will be lessened in the medical field, the smarter students will go into law or business. The lesser students will become doctors. Eventually medical schools will lower the bar and we'll all get poor care.

Doctors in Canada and the UK are being paid about $15 per office visit. They need to schedule 10 patients a day just to make a few dollars. The situation is getting there in the US as well (ever wonder why your doctor doesn't have enough time?). This $750 a week must pay for their rent, water, electricity, nurses, as well as any added tests you might need, and their own paycheck. What does that mean? You are going to talk to the doctor for 10minutes, there will be 1 nurse for 20patients, 1/2 the lights will be off, and you will be told that you are healthy (because he can't afford for you to be sick).

Answer 3

Some people do it for the joy of helping people. From what I've seen the ones who go in for the money are not the ones you want operating on you.

And under socialized medicine, don't think that doctors are not well compensated because as with anything, if you want the best available, you pay them. What you won't see will be administrative costs going up as they are now because the doctor or hospital won't have to worry about who's paying the bill and how much they'll pay.

Answer 4

You really have to have a passion both for "helping people" and for the sciences. Med School is not only intense, it's also 10-11 months a year--no summers off. You really should try and speak to some doctors to see if you have the commitment. I had the same problem witih law school, and decided not to go (good decision for me). there are other ways to be in the field such as a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner. Both require an UG and two years masters program, and NPs can be midwives.

Answer 5

Not at all. Even people who already physicians will quit. Why work 80 hours a week (as many do now) if there is no financial benefit in doing so?

Under the current system; college - med school - residency = >30 years old when your done and you are 250,000 in debt. You'll be in your forties when you finally see a significant debt-free paycheck. Socialized medicine will make this equation even worse.

Many of the brightest prospects are choosing different career fields now, I can't imagine the shortage if we go to a socialized system.

Most people don't truly understand the sacrifice it takes to go through med school and residency, and then work the huge amount of hours it takes to provide care to people. The simple fact is, the stress of being a doctor has to compensated. The altruistic reasons for being a doctor certainly exists, but isn't worth the lifestyle being a physician entails. You can become a nurse and have the altruistic benefits, good pay, and good lifestyle if money did not motivate you, because becoming a doctor isn't worth it (especially when you add in the threat of lawsuits taking it all away).

Answer 6

Actually wealth could easily increase.

There has been nothing mentioned about socializing that end of the medicine, just the insurance aspect.

If the gov't is involved on all malpractice suits it will help end the blatant abuse of them. That will lower malpractice insurance for doctors which will give them more money.

How many doctors now are leaving the field because they cant afford malpractice insurance? I know quite a few doctors that are now working for law offices and such because they were paying so much due to frivolous malpractice suits, usually not even from their own cases, but just because their specific area tends to get lots of lawsuits.

Answer 7

they'll still get paid, they'll just be paid by the government instead of insurance companies. doctors in other countries that have universal healthcare are well-off and more than comfortable. they may not make millions of dollars, but people who go into medicine aren't looking for a "get rich quick" scheme anyway. it's about helping people and advancing the lives of others through good healthcare. as long as you can make a comfortable living doing that (which they will, socialized or not), who cares if you won't be a billionaire?

Answer 8

I know I will. I've been thinking of trying my hand at med-school for sometime now.. and this talk of universal healthcare hasn't deterred me in the least.. actually it's inspired me... for most people it's about helping people.. the money is just a perk.. but if they were really looking to get rich over help people they would go into law or the likes with those brains of theirs.


I work in child care now.. and if you know anything about this field.. it's not about the money.. if it was no one would ever work in it. I feel the same way about medicine.

Answer 9

Who says that there would not be the promise of wealth under a more social program? Advancement of quality doctors should and probably will be assured. The duds could be weeded out too.

I know two Stanford heart/lung surgeons who are moving from Stanford to Candada to practice. Do you think they would do that if there was no money in it?

Answer 10

It would be possible if the state paid for their education (no student loan debts). There would be fewer doctors, but following your logic, we'd lose the ones who made profit the deciding factor in whether or not they become doctors. Aren't those the last people you would want to see become doctors anyway?