3 ms·

Thanks for the context. My layperson reader-of-newspapers understanding is that there are three issues with doctor supply: one is that it's expensive to become

Thanks for the context. My layperson reader-of-newspapers understanding is that there are three issues with doctor supply: one is that it's expensive to become a doctor, which is hand in hand with spiraling educational costs, two is that it's painful to be a doctor, because of red tape, and three is that it is incredibly difficult to become a doctor and we actually don't have a lot of knowledge as to whether or not the rigorous selection process and training is actually completely necessary to produce a good doctor. In fact, the rigorous process might be selecting out people who would otherwise be good. (This being one commentary on the subject: https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0516-doctor-requirements-20210514-yl63wdqc6ndjhmyz757zsytldq-story.html https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0516-doc...)

huitzitziltzin 5y ago
It is expensive, but they are extremely well compensated. Don’t let them BS you. It doesn’t take that long to pay back a million dollars of med school debt at a salary of 400k per year. Bigger issue is low supply: too few medical schools admitting too few students keeps supply Low and prices high. Current doctors love it. (That’s the same reason non-US-trained doctors can’t come to practice here. You can bet that they’d love to at our salaries!) Probably the training process is dysfunctional and needlessly brutal. But that doesn’t make prices high on its own. Just open more med schools, add residency slots, and make it easier for doctors from other places to come here and practice.
- conanbatt 5y ago
  > It doesn’t take that long to pay back a million dollars of med school debt at a salary of 400k per year. It should be clear that in this relationship, the rent-seeker is the university education. Doctors and wanna-be doctors are victims here. From whom? Mainly other doctors. Similar to any union.

huitzitziltzin 5y ago

It is expensive, but they are extremely well compensated. Don’t let them BS you. It doesn’t take that long to pay back a million dollars of med school debt at a salary of 400k per year. Bigger issue is low supply: too few medical schools admitting too few students keeps supply Low and prices high. Current doctors love it. (That’s the same reason non-US-trained doctors can’t come to practice here. You can bet that they’d love to at our salaries!) Probably the training process is dysfunctional and needlessly brutal. But that doesn’t make prices high on its own. Just open more med schools, add residency slots, and make it easier for doctors from other places to come here and practice.

conanbatt 5y ago
> It doesn’t take that long to pay back a million dollars of med school debt at a salary of 400k per year. It should be clear that in this relationship, the rent-seeker is the university education. Doctors and wanna-be doctors are victims here. From whom? Mainly other doctors. Similar to any union.