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I have not seen this program because I live in Bay Area. Also this program is about 4 months old. Yet, when I read this discussion today, I found something that is totally missing in the perspective. Some Physicians have tried to raise this perspective and it is important.

My daughter is currently in the final year of her MD. I spent to the tune of $250000 dollars for her 4 year education and another $160000 for hear Stanford education. My daughter is fortunate in that her parents are willing to foot her loans at 6.8 % interest.

Now, if she were to make anything less than $180000 (net liability insurance) when she starts working, probably after 3 years of residnecy, I will be disappointed. I am not even sure that she will be earning after three years in residency. She may pick a few fellowships for sub specialities. That leaves seven years before she earns.

Medicine in USA is extremely intensive for the student and equally stressful for the parent. The student has to endure enormous stress levels and keeping the child in the medical school and motivating on a daily basis is stressful for the parents.

When a student incurs enormous costs, it becomes imperative that they be compensated. A Physician's skill set in caring for a patient is not the same as a Ph.D in engineering. I also hold a Ph.D and know what a Ph.D means. But the two disciplines are incomparable. Similarly, I do not think that a nurse practitioner, while her services are critical in patient care, needs the same skill sets as the doctor or undergoes the same levels of stress in decision making.

One of the physicians has commented on the personal sacrifices that doctor makes. I agree with him because many doctors don't have the usual family life that we know of. I worry about my daughter on that score too.

The issue in health care is not physician's salaries but overhead and drug costs. It is congressional deliquency to disallow generics for drugs when such generics are available and sold around the world. I have to take Actos (brand) medication even though Pioglitazone can be sold in USA as a generic. It is a pure rip off. A  lot of health care problems have nothing to do with the Physicians and have everything to do with the way we manage our medicine and the actual costs of that medicine.

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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