Why do doctors get paid so little ?

When I see patients haggling over the doctor’s fees, I am often confused by their behavior. There is not enough recognition in society about the value of a doctor’s hard work. I feel doctors and medical specialists are overworked – and underpaid.The general perception is that doctors are rich. It is a common complaint of patients that doctors overcharge for their services , while the fact is that their fees are not commensurate with their efforts.Let’s compare doctors and lawyers.  These are both learned professions , and medical students and law graduates need to put in a lot of hard work in order to quality. They get the coveted degree after years of hard work . The struggle to succeed in both the professions is the same, but the discrepancy lies in the fees they charge. An established lawyer earns more than Rs 1 lakh simply to appear in the court , while the doctor gets only a small fraction of the amount for making the right diagnosis . He is a knowledge worker as well !  Why is there such a vast difference in their fees?This reminds me of a joke. An MD sees his lawyer at a cocktail party and tells him, "I've already had three people ask me for medical advice tonight. How would you handle that?" "Send them a bill," says the lawyer. Three days later the MD gets a bill for $35 from the lawyer !The fact is that doctors are expected to save lives and serve patients without considering minutiae such as monetary compensation. They are supposed to be selfles...
Source: The Patient's Doctor - Category: Obstetricians and Gynecologists Source Type: blogs