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Frequently Asked Questions Part Four
Shaun
Kerry, M.D.
Diplomate,
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Q. How can you claim
that our healthcare system is in complete
shambles? My doctor is wonderful. He spends
lots of time with me. I couldn't ask for more. |
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A. Granted,
there are thousands of extremely
dedicated doctors and healthcare workers. But
this doesn't change the fact that there are millions
of people who do not receive adequate healthcare,
and countless diseases that cannot be diagnosed and
treated.
Q. I'm a doctor. Even though I have never
used calculus or organic chemistry
to diagnose an illness or treat a patient, I'm not
sure the process of learning was a waste of time. Who
is to say that that process did not make me a better
student who was better able to digest the almost impossible
volume of information presented to me in medical school?
A. It
is a question of relevancy. In the game of life, we have to keep
our eye on the ball. We have to stop using denial. One
of the problems I face is that so many people will
defend their educational experience
with the same illogic as a cult member will defend
theirs. With many people, their educational background
is intimately connected with their self
worth. A criticism of their education
is taken as a personal attack. This is a deep-seated
emotional issue which in many people will override
logic. This is very complex and cannot be answered
fully in a paragraph. Please follow the
links to get a more complete picture.
Q. I disagree
with your suggestion that medical students
would offer a valuable service to
practicing physicians. Medical students
(and junior-level residents) invariably slow-down
experienced doctors due to their inefficiency. I
am a full-time academic physician who enjoys
teaching, but sees firsthand how well-meaning
but inexperienced students and residents will
decrease your ability to see patients efficiently.
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A. Many
doctors pay good money to hire medical assistants. The function
of the assistant in this proposal is to take patient
histories, and record them in the chart. While he is
doing this, the doctor is doing other things. The student
is primarily learning from the patient, not the doctor. When
the doctor sees the patient, he has the advantage of
a detailed history that he would never have time to take
himself. Keep in mind that this is |
| voluntary. If
the doctor doesn't wish to participate, he doesn't have to.
Q. But
aren't students already getting adequate patient
interaction? Most medical schools
begin patient/student interactions late in
the first year or early in the second year. They
are already spending time interacting with
patients, although not several hours a day
(until the third and fourth year).
A. The student
has had eight years of mostly irrelevant
institutional learning before
he even gets to medical school. Furthermore,
the patient interaction in the first two
years of medical school is usually very minimal.
Q. Community
physicians will need some type of compensation
due to diminished ability to see
patients efficiently under your model.
A. Most
of the teaching physicians
in medical schools, internships, residencies
and teaching clinics are volunteering their
time free of charge. Furthermore, they are
willing to commute a great distance do this. Doesn't
it make more sense to have this take place
in the doctor’s office, where no commuting
is necessary, and a more intimate relationship
can be established?
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