Article on doctors salaries

[MrsC]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44433135/

Infuriating There is not one mention of physician debt load, malpractice, nothing.

[scarlett09]

Primary care physicans average $186K pre-tax?! LOL!! We're never going to see that kind of earning power by DH. We might make that together someday, in like 20 years from now.

And this quote makes me mad: As for primary care physicians’ complaints about the disparity between their incomes and those of specialists, Rosenthal said, it’s all just a matter of perspective. “On the one hand, primary care physicians make a lot more than the average American, but they make a lot less then dermatologists,” she explained. “So the primary care physicians see themselves as relatively impoverished because of their position relative to the dermatologist — not relative to the average working guy.”

They see themselves as impoverished because there is less income available to pay back the $180K in med school loans that are accruing interest! And the average primary care physican knows that they are making more than the average Joe, they're not stupid.

[diggitydot]

Such a poorly researched hack job.

[Mrs. MD, Esq.]

I know it won't make any difference...but i sent them a love letter anyway.

There are a lot of not-so-happy comments about how one-sided and under-researched it is (and then a bunch of moronic comments). *Le sigh.* It's really hard for me not to want to bash my head against a wall right now.

[scrub-jay]

I can't read this crap... our loan disbursement notice came in the mail again. It's fun when you realize that what is already owed could've bought a house AND we're only half way through med school. Yea, good times.

Oh, this type of rubbish makes me so mad! I wish these studies would take all those years in training into account as well -- as part of that salary at the end is basically deferred compensation (for many many years in training where they got paid shit and worked like dogs).

There are a lot easier ways to make the same salary that my DH makes as an MD!

A pox be on this study and the "journalist" who reported on it!

[SuzySunshine]

I don't even read them anymore, doctor pay will always get blamed and we all know there is a lot of other BS that drives up costs.

[PrincessFiona]

Isn't it funny that people are willing to shell out thousands of dollars for season tickets to sporting events and season tickets (we'll never be able to afford to take our family to a Twin's game!), and also rationalize the multi-million dollar salaries of athletes ... but they complain about having to make a $25 co-pay or about the reimbursement for their doctor? People are so stupid that it hurts. (says the mom who got 2 hours of sleep. waaaah)

[diggitydot]

People are so stupid that it hurts.

This.

People want top-quality care at rock-bottom prices.

[oceanchild]

I'm not disagreeing with any of you, but realize that the article is reporting on a study done at Columbia. I don't think it's entirely fair to blame the reporter.

[PrincessFiona]

I don't know, Julia, shouldn't the reporter be responsible for telling the whole story? It seems to me that it was a rather skewed report instead of an investigative one.

[oceanchild]

I dunno, if it's a journal article, it's pretty common for reporters to report what's in the journal. I'm not sure I expect them to go out and refute someone's research. I think there are degrees, and she probably could have done more, but I think it's fair to say, an expert did this study, and here's what they concluded.

[diggitydot]

I think it's entirely fair to hold a journalist responsible when they produce crap. She may have quoted a flawed study, but the rest of her research was just as incomplete and wrong.

[Flynn]

Isn't it funny that people are willing to shell out thousands of dollars for season tickets to sporting events and season tickets (we'll never be able to afford to take our family to a Twin's game!), and also rationalize the multi-million dollar salaries of athletes ... but they complain about having to make a $25 co-pay or about the reimbursement for their doctor? People are so stupid that it hurts. (says the mom who got 2 hours of sleep. waaaah)

YES, this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also reimbursement is so unbalanced right now. My husband makes for a heart bipass aproximately what an orthopod makes for an achilles repair. Most of the reimbursement goes to facilities and hospital expenses. Um, excuse me but there is a TEENSY TINY bit MORE risk in a bipass than an elective surgery.

Medicine is such a mess on SO many levels.

[Pollyanna]

This is simply a class warfare type article disguised as a health care issue. It's no different than, "see those evil Wall Street guys, they make too much money", "look at the kind of money those CEO's bring in, evil bastards", "oh those fancy doctors, they just went into medicine for the money". Nobody is interested in what it takes to become a doctor (or any high paying job for that matter), they only see the bottom line and then scream, "it's not fair".