My life is my research. Granted surgeons are different because they actually do something. For nearly twenty years corrupt DRs tried to give me Lipitor while my thyroid function was that of a 90 year old, even though I was 23. So do I feel bad if your mothers income dropped from $500,000 a year all the way down to $400k? While I pay 75% of my disposable income to DRs for bad advice and medicine? The only people who could possibly defend DRs are a) DRs or b) someone related to a DR.
maybe that is because we are the only ones who understand the industry. don't ask a firefighter about horse racing- that is unless you want to lose all your money.
that's my sn because i just absolutely love to be underestimated. nothing is better than consistently being underestimated- yall should know that
This whole thread doesn't make much sense since it is based on an article by the BMJ= British Medical Journal. The UK has a totally different health care system. The so called NHS = National Health System is a paragon of socialized health care. A private medical sector is almost nonexistent in the UK, so every doctor that graduates from a British university will have to get a job in the NHS, there are practically no alternatives to it besides becoming a cab driver. Therefore it does make sense to limit number of places for medical students. More doctors will not necessarily mean less cost for health care, as there is no free market in the UK. Furthermore, doctors salaries in the UK are significantly lower than in the States, although they are still good by European standards. I wonder how many Americans would want to work for those kind of salaries, given the length of education and the working hours. http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=553
Doctors are technicians that speak latin. They should get $50k a year and be glad we don't replace them with an expert system running on a $300 personal computer.
A quote from the article: "Consultants Consultants can earn between £73,403 to £173,638, dependent on length of service and payment of additional performance related awards." Looking at the average salaries for US docs, it's less in the UK. The fact is that not every doctor will become a "Consultant", and that getting to that level takes 10-15 years after graduation. The doctors I know in the UK don't live that large, in fact, those with children have to rely on double income. They aren't starving, but I don't see any reason for jealousy either.
This thread is rediculous in my opinion and way off base. Too many comments from people that have no clue. I am not a doctor, nor are any of my family members. I do sell medical equipment and my wife is a drug rep, so I spend most of my day in doctor's offices with docs. Physician income is a factor in health care costs, but it is a relatively small one. A lot of these guys make much less than you think and they all work their asses off. 60 hours/week or more is the norm, as their pay is determined by how many patients they see. Most family practice physicians make around $150k, with some making much less. I don't think that is too much considering how much many other professions earn. The specialists and surgeons earn more. Probably in the neighborhood of $250k/average, but I know when I'm laying on the table or diagnosed with cancer, I want a very bright talented, highly paid guy treating me.