3 ms·

> 2 weeks to see a Dr, a year for an operation Its the same in USA if you want to see a specialist. There is a worldwide shortage of qualified doctors. I wait

> 2 weeks to see a Dr, a year for an operation Its the same in USA if you want to see a specialist. There is a worldwide shortage of qualified doctors. I waited about 1.5yrs to get a routine endoscopy at northwestern hospital in chicago. We've gone to northwestern in downtown for decades and have never seen waits this bad.

diggan 2y ago
> There is a worldwide shortage of qualified doctors. I'm not sure you can extrapolate that it's worldwide because things are the same in UK and US. FWIW, I had surgery in Spain recently and had to wait like two-three months tops. Probably depends a lot on the type of surgery and how urgent it is.
- apwell23 2y ago
  yea could be my specific hospital. I've heard from indian colleagues that if you sprain your ankle you can see someone immediately but if you get cancer and need to specialist then you are competing with thousands of ppl to see that doctor.
- gramie 2y ago
  My brother had a hip replacement in Paris this week. He booked the operation two weeks ago. His angiogram (required for the surgery) was performed 3 hours after his consultation with the surgeon. The clinic is considered the best one specializing in joint replacement surgery in all of France. Total cost for surgery, follow-up, and 3 days in hospital (he lives in a French Overseas Department so he gets reimbursed): 18,000 Euros.
  - kasey_junk 2y ago
    How are you calculating the total cost?
ethbr1 2y ago
Ironically, a lot of the US medical professional problem mirrors housing -- supply limited by fiat, to the advantage of existing suppliers. https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/match-day-2023-a-reminder-of-the-real-cause-of-the-physician-shortage-not-enough-residency-positions https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/match-day-2023-a-remin...
tptacek 2y ago
Endoscopy wait times are kind of a notorious worst-case, right? There's something weird going on with them here. I had specialist care in Chicago (at Rush, not NWU) booked and delivered inside of a couple weeks.
- kasey_junk 2y ago
  I think 2 things are true at the same time, some specialists are impossible to get access to and others are easy. I’ve been able to get an orthopedic surgery issue diagnosed and booked in weeks (Rush). But routine care with my pain specialist (Northwestern) can need months long lead times.
- kevinmchugh 2y ago
  Rush has gotten me in for endoscopy twice this year with two-three months notice. It took 6 months to get into neurology there, and they rescheduled my 6 month follow-up to be a 14 month follow-up
  - tptacek 2y ago
    OK so ignore me, I'm definitely wrong. Though: my wife is a Rush neurology pt (migraines, super problematic migraines) and she's gotten scheduled p. quickly (but for probably simple appointments). (I don't know why I hadn't placed you as a Chicago person before; you should come out with us sometime!)

diggan 2y ago

> There is a worldwide shortage of qualified doctors. I'm not sure you can extrapolate that it's worldwide because things are the same in UK and US. FWIW, I had surgery in Spain recently and had to wait like two-three months tops. Probably depends a lot on the type of surgery and how urgent it is.

apwell23 2y ago
yea could be my specific hospital. I've heard from indian colleagues that if you sprain your ankle you can see someone immediately but if you get cancer and need to specialist then you are competing with thousands of ppl to see that doctor.
gramie 2y ago
My brother had a hip replacement in Paris this week. He booked the operation two weeks ago. His angiogram (required for the surgery) was performed 3 hours after his consultation with the surgeon. The clinic is considered the best one specializing in joint replacement surgery in all of France. Total cost for surgery, follow-up, and 3 days in hospital (he lives in a French Overseas Department so he gets reimbursed): 18,000 Euros.
- kasey_junk 2y ago
  How are you calculating the total cost?

ethbr1 2y ago

Ironically, a lot of the US medical professional problem mirrors housing -- supply limited by fiat, to the advantage of existing suppliers. https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/match-day-2023-a-reminder-of-the-real-cause-of-the-physician-shortage-not-enough-residency-positions https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/match-day-2023-a-remin...

tptacek 2y ago

Endoscopy wait times are kind of a notorious worst-case, right? There's something weird going on with them here. I had specialist care in Chicago (at Rush, not NWU) booked and delivered inside of a couple weeks.

kasey_junk 2y ago
I think 2 things are true at the same time, some specialists are impossible to get access to and others are easy. I’ve been able to get an orthopedic surgery issue diagnosed and booked in weeks (Rush). But routine care with my pain specialist (Northwestern) can need months long lead times.
kevinmchugh 2y ago
Rush has gotten me in for endoscopy twice this year with two-three months notice. It took 6 months to get into neurology there, and they rescheduled my 6 month follow-up to be a 14 month follow-up
- tptacek 2y ago
  OK so ignore me, I'm definitely wrong. Though: my wife is a Rush neurology pt (migraines, super problematic migraines) and she's gotten scheduled p. quickly (but for probably simple appointments). (I don't know why I hadn't placed you as a Chicago person before; you should come out with us sometime!)