I have a feeling that your observation that, "Mid-levels and lesser credentialed, like PA's and NP's, providers are being allowed to take on more and more responsibility. For medicine overall, I think this is the right direction. I believe technology means mid-levels can function at a much higher level than in the past. For physicians, it sucks because it's killing any financial incentives." is dead on.
Further I think the technology side really has to start servicing the physician. A GP's office doesn't have to be the place to get an ECG, and a GP doesn't even necessarily have to see the readout barring some kind of change over time. So much of that should be automated and/or done in specialized clinics. I know how it's complicated by data format standardization, privacy, security, and regulation but it's a shame that we can help doctors be more efficient. I will spare the rant about slightly (and slighty justified if I'm being fair) Luddite tendencies among physicians.
This is exactly why I recommend against medicine. You have to be in it for the long haul. If you find you hate medicine in your 3rd year (when rotations typically start), you're already $100k in debt.
FYI: posts on the site are anonymous.
If you'd prefer not posting your email here, you can reach me at [email protected]
The burn-out affected both of us and we're just starting to get over it.
* Med school is a freaking grind. She was either at class, at rotations, or studying. Pretty much 80+ hours/week for 4 years.
* We had to move a lot, which has limited my social life. Ended up spending a lot of time just "working" while she'd study in the evenings.
* Major life impacting tests nearly every year. Low scores or failures on a single exam can kill any career aspirations.
* Insane debt load. We're looking at total payback costs around $310k. That was with no undergrad debt and my job paying for all living expenses. If you don't become an attending, you're fucked financially.
* Not enough residency spots for the number of medical schools. Less than 80% of candidates matched into a residency spot. Follow on matching is very low.
* That's right, pretty much 1 in 5 doctors will not go on to practice medicine because they cannot get a residency position.
* Residency salaries are complete shit. It's not unheard of for residents to have to take out loans to payback loans during residency.
* Resident have absolutely no leverage. They are literally slaves to the program they're "matched" to. Program director changes, hospital gets bought out, peers are insufferable - sucks to be you, you're stuck until you graduate.
* Financially being a doctor doesn't make any sense. Everyone looks at doctor's salaries, but completely forgets about the 8 to 10 years doctors (a) make nothing (b) pay for education (c) make pennies. Even with the "doctor salaries", it will take my wife well into our 50's to be financially ahead had simply pursued a career in her STEM field. There's a lot of life that can be live in 30 years that a "big house and a fancy car" doesn't make up for.
* Mid-levels and lesser credentialed, like PA's and NP's, providers are being allowed to take on more and more responsibility. For medicine overall, I think this is the right direction. I believe technology means mid-levels can function at a much higher level than in the past. For physicians, it sucks because it's killing any financial incentives.
I could rant for hours about all of the bullshit my wife went through (and, lesser myself). If you're thinking of becoming a doctor, do yourself a favor and do something else.
If you really want to work in medicine, becoming an NP or PA is a looking like an increasingly attractive route.