It seems that our rural hospitals are having a hard time finding general surgeons. I wonder why.
Wanted General Surgeon to cover small rural hospital.
Must have high school diploma, completed bachelors degree and four years of medical school followed by five to seven years of additional training. Must be able to work 50 to 80 hours a week and be on call all evenings and weekends. Must employee at least 6 others and provide malpractice insurance costing $200,ooo/yr. As a small business must also pay all self employment taxes and all retirement costs. Must be further able to support plaintiff attorneys and serve as a target for several frivoulous lawsuits/year. Must take all patients referred by the ER regardless of their ability to pay and be subject to government regulated pay, audits and fines. Pay is irrevelent to experience and consists of what is left over from all above.
2 comments:
But do you love what you do?
I am guessing the rewards far outweigh the negatives (or your all masochists).. but that being said.. I don't know how you all do it.
That's also why there are less general surgeons anywhere, and especially in states like Florida with astronomical malpractice premiums and where half of all commercials are personal injury attorneys!
On top of that, in some communities like mine, general surgeons have to try to keep their practice financially viable in places where enormous hospital systems hire their own surgeons & other docs, set them up in practice, pay their malpractice, then steer patients to them. Since they present these employed physician offices as if they are independents patients don't even know they are IN the system and given referrals to docs that are in the interest of the corporation, bypassing some of the best surgeons who are independent --even ones that have been loyal to the hospitals for years. You don't even have to read the article, just look at the first 2 graphs to see what happens http://www.ethicalhealthpartnerships.org/FloridaHospitalReport2.html
How does a general surgeon compete against THAT?
Post a Comment