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I am writing in response to the last caller's comments regarding MD's salaries. The general public tends to forget the amount of education debt incurred throughout undergrad, med school and residency. Physicians also have delayed entry into the workforce therefore delaying saving for retirement and other adulthood milestones such as buying a home. If you want to reform healthcare, you also need to focus on a change in doctor's education costs. The lure of a higher income after residency quickly fades once a person realizes the staggering amount of education and malpractice insurance costs. 

Another caller discussed the overuse of unnecessary procedures such as extensive imaging. Occasionally physicians tend to order expensive tests in the off chance if they don't and miss something they will be sued. Our society is extremely litigious. And physicians have a healthy fear regarding being sued. Have we talked about tort reform yet?

The best and brightest students are steering clear of medicine because they realize the cost of high education debt, malpractice, stress and delayed entry into the workforce doesn't out weight the benefits.  

posted 2 years, 3 months ago
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