Dad: The World isn't fair
Calvin: I know, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favor?
Calvin and Hobbes
Doctors look at the world differently, an under-appreciated fact that
is key to understanding health care reform. For most people, the world
is a pretty unfair place, with success being only tangentially related
to talent or intelligence. Although such things matter in the business
world, less quantifiable attributes such as the ability to please
others, personality, grooming, and luck, are at least as important.
Medicine is different. Although not perfect, the ascent up the ladder
of success for doctors may be the most fair of all professions.
Aptitude, hard work and dedication pretty much guarantee advancement,
no matter what your personal qualities. Superior grades and board
scores in college results in admission to medical school, where
commitment and endless hours of study guarantee admission to good
residencies and eventually jobs.
Manners, wardrobe choices, the ability to motivate others, and golf
skills, are not particularly important. For the most part, medical
school and residency admissions are based on clearly defined,
quantifiable measurements often lacking in other professions.
Personality quirks and deficiencies are often overlooked (or not
noticed). One can achieve substantial success in medical school and
residency with limited social skills. Frequently the training is so
time-consuming that other aspects of personality and life experiences
are poorly developed.
Needless to say, the fur starts to fly when these physicians interact
with the outside world. Hospital administrators, insurance company
executives, politicians and patients could care less whether you did
your residency at Harvard or University of Toledo. The malpractice
attorney does not care whether you can quote two or three papers from
the latest journal.
Previously ignored concepts like personality, grooming, and
self-promotion start to matter far more than hard work and
intelligence, and some doctors are caught short.
Many doctors can appreciate the issues and adjust. Others never make
the transitions, and become alienated, disillusioned and resentful.
They expected the world to remain a fair place, as it has been in
their training. It is not surprising that some become to feel entitled
and greedy, as the referenced article addresses.
A main reason doctors are losing the health care reform battle is that
they don't understand the rules. Doctors were trained to value
integrity, sincerity, evidence and truth. Such totems are considered
naïve and laughable by the cynical politicians and businessmen who
view the medical industry as a cash cow to be led to slaughter.
Like it or not, these same politicians and businessmen control the
purse-strings, and doctors will have to learn how to deal with them,
something they don't teach in medical school.
Probably the most basic reason is the big rise in the volume of old people nowadays. And as we know, they're the ones who are more vulnerable to various health problems which are very likely to cause them to need therapy and rehab. Physical therapists are generally taught to assist disabled individuals to gain back their energy along with range of flexibility. And as expected, with the large number of affected individuals, a huge number of PTs are required by different healthcare facilities. Read more for more details.