Thursday, August 2, 2012

Seriously?!

So I read this article http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/sunday-commentary/20120727-eli-lehrer-your-doctor-makes-too-much-money.ece about how doctors and healthcare professionals make too much money.  I was so irritated by the end of it that I wanted to scream.  This guy doesn't know what he's talking about.  First of all, medical school tuition was much more than $25,000 a year.  Try double that.  And doctors have residencies they are required to complete, where other professions he is comparing them to don't.  Last I calculated, when Pete stays under the cap on hours each week (which they don't track because no one is going to be the guy who says, "Hey, I've worked too much this week.  I'm going home.") he was making 4-5 dollars an hour.  And the debt will take us much longer to pay off than this guy suggests.  In looking through job postings, I have never seen a job for a primary care physician making $200,000.  Plus, I think about the stress that some of these doctors are under; one wrong cut and the person they are trying to save could die.  That's a tremendous amount of responsibility that the average job doesn't have.  I liked this rebuttal that a physician sent in.  Especially the last paragraph because it is so true.  Same situation with teachers, too...  http://www.meandmydoctor.com/2012/07/setting-record-straight-on-doctor-pay.html?spref=fb&m=1&fwcc=1&fwcl=1&fwl

Phew.  Sorry for the rant.  Maybe at an earlier day, when I hadn't seen what I've seen or had the strain and stress on my husband and family that we've had, or packing around the enormous student loans, despite the fact that we lived on $20,000 a year during medical school, or heard the stories of patients spitting on my husband while he was trying to stitch up their gashed faces in the ER, or continually spent weekends, holidays, evenings, nights, parties, Christmas Eve, Christmas day, without my husband so that he could be in the hospital helping others, then maybe my opinion would be different.  But for now, you can't convince me that these doctors don't earn every cent of their keep.

7 comments:

wendy holt said...

oh man, I love ya girl!!

Erin said...

Amen.
Thanks for vocalizing so I don't have to. Well said; wouldn't change a thing - except maybe I'd rant even stronger, if I could...

Nicole said...

I'm sorry. That is so frustrating! I can especially relate to the fact that you are pretty much a single mom. Jon's gone a TON and I'm just hoping that in the end it's all worth it. SO sorry life is stressful for you. Good job to you for keeping it all together. Your kids will thank you!!

Scott said...

Have you not heard-- Pete didn't do it, we all did it.

Shannon said...

The guy that wrote that first article didn't seem to have his facts straight on any of it. What a bonehead. There are many things wrong with the health care system, but I don't think doctor pay is one of them (or nurse pay, etc). He uses the example of janitors in hospitals making more... well, that makes sense to me. I'd want more to clean up in a hospital than I would an office building or a school. Der. I like your rants, Heather. :)

KevandChels said...

amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen...i can't say it enough!!!!!

Linzi Lou, Samantha Boo, Madi Moo, and Chris too said...

I am pretty sure I laughed as I read this article. This guy needs to walk a day in these guys germed up shoes to see what they do for minimum wage.