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Re:America’s aging population is leading to a doctor shortag... by wolco on Sunday September 08, 2019 @03:04AM (#20909039)
The 8 years could be streamlined but it's setup to weed out many and tire out the remaining. Many of the brightest most curious people get turned off by the process the people that remain are the ones who could stand the beatdown. Then they get out start working and have to see 25,000 people a year (100/day) as a gp.

There is a huge burnout process going on. I see so many doctors try to make a business on shark tank/dragons den work or they try to become media personalities.

Many seem stuck because the job isn't what many would expect. They have invested heavily time/effort in study, they have high debt and they have increased expectations from family/community.

Re:America’s aging population is leading to a doctor shortag... by nmstoker on Sunday September 08, 2019 @06:03AM (#20909562)
Personally I'd rather they set up a more sustainable training approach - I'm not overly keen on having a doctor who's been "tired" out. I've seen a junior NHS doctor treating a partner in such a state of tiredness that they had to rely on mnemonics and tell us the number of things they'd be checking so that he didn't forget two minutes later and miss any out.
Re:America’s aging population is leading to a doctor shortag... by arcticfox on Sunday September 08, 2019 @07:02AM (#20909765)
Peter Attia discussed on his podcast a time when he fell asleep and fell on top of a patient while operating on them during his residency. Pretty insanely bad system.
Re:America’s aging population is leading to a doctor shortag... by barry-cotter on Sunday September 08, 2019 @03:09AM (#20909055)
> The 8 years could be streamlined but it's setup to weed out many and tire out the remaining.

Undergraduate medical education in Europe is commonly five or six years so yes, it could really be streamlined. If summers weren’t taken off you could fit medical school into four years. “Weed our and tire out” makes it sound like there are people who drop out of medical school when it barely happens at all.

Re:America’s aging population is leading to a doctor shortag... by wolco on Sunday September 08, 2019 @11:30AM (#20911098)
Dropout rates really changes depending where.

In Canada .5 dropout, in the US 3 1/2%, in the UK 5%. In Canada there are very few spots so the effort to get in and have a way to pay for the education happens before. Once you are in the pressure to remain is extremely high. But 11% still seriously think about quitting.

The decisions and effort need to be put in early in life. Very few go to college and decide to become a doctor. They usually have gone to college to become a doctor and select schools/programs based on that. For some it starts earlier than highschool.

When you finally become a doctor after the lifetime of work the job may not be exactly what was envisioned but it is too late.

Offtopic somewhat: I know of smart people who decided to started programming, drawing/painting, inventing, writing, practicing law after age 35 and are enjoying careers. I know of no doctor ever.. is medicine that difficult for someone past 30?