Why I would still encourage my daughter to go into medicine

There was an article recently published in Forbes titled “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Doctors.” It was a well-written piece that outlined the multitude of reasons that many physicians have become disillusioned with a field they once felt a passionate draw to. The reasons listed in the article were accurate and included the loss of autonomy, mental exhaustion, and asymmetrical rewards. Many physicians feel there is an overall lack of appreciation for the sacrifices we make. With Press Ganey patient satisfaction scores influencing patient care in many hospitals where patient satisfaction is paramount, many physicians feel an adversarial relationship has developed between physicians, patients, and the administration that is focused more on the bottom line than patient health and well-being. With a rise in fake medical news, celebrity endorsements vilifying scientifically proven interventions such as vaccines, and many patients who feel their “Google MD” trumps a physician’s years of training, our jobs just seem to be getting harder. In many cases, electronic medical records have improved the way we coordinate and deliver care, but it has come at the cost of more paperwork, increasingly complicated diagnosis coding, more time in front of a computer, and less hands-on time with our patients. But for all the challenges we face, there are also many things that we as physicians can, and should, continue to find fulfillment with. The fund...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician Medical school Source Type: blogs