Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Political factors of why there is a shortage of physicians in the United States
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Many who work around health care have noticed a lack of an essential resource, this crucial component to the medical system is the physician themselves. The World Health Organization states we are up to 20% understaffed as a country when it comes to licensed physicians. Many of our counties across the US have had to resort to paying extra and offering potentially free schooling to draw doctors into their ranks. Yet despite our need for doctors, along with the stable lifestyle that the employment entails, we do not have enough students applying to medical schools. This problem stems in part from the length and non-time efficient route Unites States Medical schools follow. We can reduce the amount of wasted talent from the available pool of qualified …show more content…
Often many of the months of the 4 year of medical school is based around electives taken by students and applying for residencies. If the fourth year is mostly based around scheduling for residency interviews, why is it required? Harvard during World War II shortened their program to 3 years, with no adverse effects. “This need for physicians led Harvard, as well as many other medical schools, to adopt an accelerated program of medical education.” (Harvard 1955) The report later goes on to state there was no increase in medical mistakes prevalent with those who …show more content…
The first two years would still be applicable sciences if the course load was too great and the student decided to leave, giving them education still useful towards other degrees. This also would cut down on the overall time taken to produce quality doctors and lessen the stress on our current healthcare system. The current system is one that stemmed from a total reform, yet pushed the bar too far. It has been reduced in the past for events like World War II and produced the same results. If the country wants to create more capable doctors and increase the quality of healthcare the first place to look is the source. The intentions are good natured, but the system has potential to be reformed and the positive effects that can result should motivate the structure to
...stence in a residency program because there were not enough residency positions. Every year, thousands of well-qualified individuals take their dreams off life support because they were not chosen. This could be happening to you, or a friend of yours. This could be happening to your son or your daughter. This is a cruel end to many great people: to be straddled with hundreds of thousands in debt and no easy way to pay it back. Not to mention the need to rebrand oneself apart from medicine. Having an M.D. doesn’t make it in any way easy to do something else.
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot delves into the life of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cancer cells were taken without her consent in 1951 and became the source of the HeLa cell line, revolutionizing medical research. Skloot intertwines Henrietta's personal story with the scientific breakthroughs enabled by her cells. The book explores themes of medical ethics, racial injustice, and the intersection of science and humanity. Set primarily in Baltimore, Maryland, the narrative spans decades, offering a profound reflection on the legacy of one woman's unknowing contribution to science. Rebecca Skloot's central thesis in "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" revolves around the ethical implications of medical
The number of doctors that present in the United States of America directly affects the communities that these doctors serve and plays a large role in how the country and its citizens approach health care. The United States experienced a physician surplus in the 1980s, and was affected in several ways after this. However, many experts today have said that there is currently a shortage of physicians in the United States, or, at the very least, that there will be a shortage in the near future. The nation-wide statuses of a physician surplus or shortage have many implications, some of which are quite detrimental to society. However, there are certain remedies that can be implemented in order to attempt to rectify the problems, or alleviate some of their symptoms.
The minimum requirement to be accepted into medical school is four years of a rigorous premedical program at an accredited college (2). Undergraduate work includes courses in physics, biology, mathematics, English, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry (1). Volunteering at local hospitals is a way to gain more firsthand experience (1). To be accepted into medical school the student must pass the Medical College Admissions Test (2).
The healthcare reform debate has been politicized in the United States for many years where there have been deliberate efforts by various stakeholders to ensure that they push for the reforms that are in line with the cost-benefit aspects that they have already envisioned. In this paper, I will attempt to prove that the reforms that have been witnessed in the healthcare in the recent years have not been effective and helpful to the society as a whole. When President Obama came into office, he promised to oversee great reforms in the healthcare which is his government he face much priority in the social policy aspects. The congress managed to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
One of the biggest issues the health industry has is the fact that most doctors will not admit making an error, and if they do, they usually
The United States is going through a huge shortage of physicians, which is composing a very severe supply and demand problem in this country. Citizens living in rural areas should be able to receive the same amount of quality care as those living in urban areas. The shortage of physicians in rural America calls for immediate attention and change because the shortage is affecting the quality of patient care. The life expectancy of people living in these areas is declining due to treatable conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thankfully, these conditions can be managed with proper medical treatment. Many people living in rural America have poor access to medical care. Approximately twenty percent of the population live in rural areas, which is twenty percent not getting adequate healthcare. Healthcare is in catastrophe in many different countries. There are many providers that are unable to provide medical care to an increasing number of chronically ill and the aging population. There are numerous amounts of systemic failures, none are more difficult to fix than the usual basic lack of human resources. There are not enough physicians to service the needs of the entire population. Many physicians get into the more specialized fields. The issue is deepened in rural areas, where specialized physicians are not found within several hundred miles. This healthcare system need to figure out how to do more with less and stretch a limited amount of resources to work more efficiently. There are many programs that are created to recruit and retain physicians in rural communities. Physician shortages continue to threaten the healthcare delivery in rural areas. This area will be hit the hard...
It’s a heated debate these days as to how students should earn their college degree. Most higher education seekers in the 20th Century had limited choices… attend a university or community college. Technology in the 21st Century has increased the methods and opportunities to further education. Online opportunities have reduced the price of education and opened paths to almost any career choice available at college campuses. So, why wouldn’t everyone skip the expense of physically attending college and complete their degree online? Because what you learn from a textbook or e-book is only a fraction of the overall college education. Students would miss out on the social aspects of growing in college… the stepping stones of independence:
Have you ever gotten hurt and worried about having to go to the doctor and the financial burden it would have on you? Did you ever wish that you could afford healthcare that would cover you and no cost you thousands of dollars? Recently, the US has been considering a Universal Healthcare System to provide all citizens with affordable healthcare. However, they are at an impasse due to the acknowledgment of not just the gains of a Universal Healthcare System but also the burdens it can impose on the US as a whole. The US must address everything good and bad before deciding whether a Universal Healthcare System would be what is best for the US and the people living in it.
People will at least once, probably more, have to deal with insurance companies. For many, this typically results in a long, and heated struggle of figuring out what is covered, and what is not. It is also usually accompanied by negotiating something to be covered, and giving justification of why it should. Almost anyone will agree that handling insurance companies is as bad as pulling teeth. This is said to be true even when the medical diagnoses are concrete in the social construct of society. Many insurances will not cover things as dyer as cancer. If this is so commonly believed, imagine how it is for the illness that are not concrete; illnesses such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia. All phrases that are commonly heard in media, but widely accepted as untrue illnesses, or educated
Do you enjoy paying medical bills? Healthcare accounts for about 1/6 of the entire economy, more than any other industry. Researchers find that the spending on health care totals about $2.5 trillion which is about 17.5% of America’s gross domestic product: a measure of the value of all goods and services produced in the United States (New Health Insurance). It covers money paid to health care providers such as hospitals, outpatient centers, veterans’ affairs and other clinics, doctor and dentist practices, physical therapists, nursing homes, home health services and on-site care at places such as schools and work sites. Also included are retail sales of prescription and nonprescription drugs, premiums paid to health insurers, and revenues of makers of medical devices, surgical equipment and durable medical equipment such as eyeglasses, hearing aids and wheelchairs. It also counts out-of-pocket payments by consumers for health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-payments, along with costs not covered by insurance. Healthcare is one of the biggest economic problems Americans are facing. Medical care and health insurance expenses are impacting the lives of many Americans today. The focus problem, which once was uninsured Americans inability to pay for their medical care expenses are no longer a problem that is affecting only those who are uninsured, but is also steadily becoming a problem for those with health insurance. The problems of health care are affecting many American people: the uninsured/underinsured and insured, the unemployed and working, children and retirees, single individuals and families, men, women and small businesses. The list goes on. These problems can be solved in a dramatic reform to socialized healthcare. ...
In a 2012 collection of state workforce studies and reports, each state evidently needs more physicians. There are shortages of primary care physicians and specialists in every health professions: dental, mental health, pharmacy, and many others. Previously to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passing, a convergence of difficulties had added to labor force problems. The ACA will inflict additional pressures on the health care labor force.
In the United States of America, people view health care as a product to be bought and sold. Therefore, anyone who could not avail the health care would not have any coverage. Without any form of health care, someone could not achieve their outstanding potential when sick. United States has spent so much money in trying to make this country as one of the best in the world. There is economic growth if the health of the citizenry is safeguarded. In this nation that is known for its wealth, it is very ironic to find people without proper insurance due to high cost and therefore are denied health care (Bergen, Fultz, Kessie, & Osburn, 2015). Society is denying them the right to live. Butts & Rich (2005) stated that in order to achieve social
The United States of America is supposed to be the greatest nation on earth. We are supposed to celebrate freedom and praise equality. We are all supposed to have the opportunity to live a nice, long, wonderful life.There are quite a few problems that make the above difficult, to say the least.
“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” John F. Kennedy. The current state of the education system leaves much to be desired. The United States was once head of the class in respect to the effectiveness of the educational system. This has not been the case in recent years. There are a wide variety of reasons for this decline but what are the core requirements that need to be focused on to become the world leader in education again? The three key areas that are necessary for a successful educational system are support, structure, and ownership.