I agree with what you are saying, but it just does not appear to be happening. IF it does, then there will be continued opportunity for IMG's. As it stands now, residency spots remain stable, yet there are more US MD's, DO's and IMG's competing for the same number of spots....

the result is that it is getting tougher for IMG's to get jobs, and the absolute number of MD's finishing training is not changing. Problem of shortage not solved, problem for IMG's getting spots gets worse.

So, for all of the talk and fanfare of reducing the MD shortage, what really appears to be reduced is opportunity for IMGs, at least until they actually do increase residency spots. Not trying to rain on parades, but there WILL be a large number of those that are currently in offshore schools that will not return to the states as MDs. That is a fact of life, has been going on for years, and will only get worse in the near term

There needs to be more done to address the physician shortage, I agree with pruritis that not much is being done that is effective. This will be seen most heavily in primary care. One "solution" has been to increase reimbursements to primary care docs by about 37% for the most commonly used visit types. While this may attract more people to FP/IM, it doesn't address the fact that there just aren't enough physicians out there to treat this rapidly growing older subset of the population. As more diseases become treatable, and people live longer with the conditions they have, treating these patients becomes more time intensive. Because of the number of issues you need to address....diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, osteoporosis, screening for prostate, breast, colon cancer, preventative medicine, discussions on nutrition etc. the patient who used to be simple, because there wasn't much to do for them, now becomes quite complex. Who is going to do all of this?

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AUC Class of '99
Bored certified
I may be a jerk, but I'm a Jedi jerk like my father.

Some say I look like Buzz Lightyear....
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DISCLAIMER: I have no financial stake in ValueMD, or any medical school.

I completely agree...even the general public doesn't understand this....even the healthy patient now requires office time and resources that just aren't being properly reimbursed. In an ideal practice where you complied with all current recommendations on all patients...the FP would work around the clock...I mean...just take hyperlipidemia for example...depending on fam hx and PMH etc you send the patient home for diet excercise trial...maybe even a nutrition referral...come back...do fasting lipids and no improvement....start a statin...get LFTs...come back in a month to recheck Lipids/LFTs and check CPK....no improvement...or pt c/o slight muscle ache even though CPK is normal...it all just leads to more and more follow-ups...more and more time for small reimbursements....DM is even worse

It's disheartening...but preventative care is the key to decreasing future healthcare costs...so somehow we have to make it more appealing

sidenote: I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than do another month of outpatient family practice jam packed with BP checks and DM checks and Lipid follow-ups....it is so tedious that I applaud those that will devote their life to wellness of myself and others

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Sometimes doing something is worse than doing nothing.-Meredith Grey

Prelim IM Status
CCU - [X]
Pulmonology Consult - [X]
Renal Consult - [X]
Vacation - [X]
Wards - [ X]
MICU - [X]
Radiology - [X]
Wards - [X]
CCU - [X]
Wards - [X]
Heme/Onc - [X]
Private - [X]
Allergy - [X]
Vacation - [in progress]

then off for CA-1!!

can the last few posts in this thread be cut and moved to the relaxing lounge -- this is a hot topic and I'm sure there are others who don't come in here who'd like to take part.

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