Sorry, nothing much to report here. I’m functioning as the social worker again: sort out nursing homes, home care, jump through the different insurance companies’ hoops about how one qualifies to be allowed to take this or that medication. The nurses and case managers and I just shrug our shoulders and give up; it really doesn’t matter any more what the doctor says. We’re forced to prescribe and practice with our hands tied by bureaucrats with no medical training, but we’re the ones who will get sued if anything goes wrong.
It won’t even necessarily take Obama getting elected and passing his socialized healthcare plan through a completely Democrat Congress to get me out of medicine; it’s not like I need a lot more excuses; but that would sure make a good one. These high school kids ask my advice about how to get into medical school; whereas what I ought to be giving them is advice how to stay out of this debacle.
Hold on for a couple days, I’ll write you something more cheerful after I get another case. The OR is still magic – the best anti-depressant.
October 21, 2008 at 8:52 am
Never understood why docs have to be social workers to, its not like they come and help out with that tough Intubation every once in a while. Just enjoy what you do and you’ll be fine, whether its laparoscopic hernia repairs, or sports physicals on 17 year old girls(kidding). It was the same way in the 1980′s, heres what the gloom and doomers were saying
1: Family Practitioners would be the most highly paid and valued part of the Health Care Food Chain because of their Gatekeeper status: BIG WRONG
2: Nurse Anesthetists would take over Anesthesia: WRONG
3: OTC H2 Blockers will make Vagotomy and Antrectomy procedures obsolete: RIGHT, well they get one once in a while.
4: The Cubs would win more once they start playing Night Games at Wrigley Field; WRONG