repost from CB: regarding medical training in USA

[MikeWaters]

http://www.cougarboard.com/noframes/...tml?id=2806286

Many of you might not be aware that about 1/4th of the doctors trained in the United States come from foreign countries.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez? cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_ uids=12204075

What I mean is that US medical school graduates only fill 3/4ths of the internship/residency slots in the United States. The other 1/4th are imported.

So think about that the next time you, a family member, or a friend doesn't get into medical school. Foreigners are preferred.

Will there be renewed focus on this, given the recent bombing attempts in Britain? We will see.

Benefits of the current system:
1) we siphon off the best and brightest from the rest of the world
2) high-quality immigrants (99% of the cases)
3) these folks are required to work in rural areas for a certain length of time (3 years?) after graduation from residency. Most American doctors are not willing to work in these rural areas

Downside:
1) Many Americans that wish to be doctors, and could conceivably fill those slots, do not become doctors. The answer is to increased the number of medical school graduates, but quality would surely suffer.
2) We rob the 3rd world of the their best and brightest. Does it make sense for Africa, which has a shortage of doctors, to be training medical professionals, only to have them come to the United States?
3) some may feel that it is a dangerous system in America that so heavily relies on foreign-trained doctors. What if they can't come due to political reasons? We will suffer greatly, at least in the short term.

Immigrants and the children of immigrants are overrepresented among doctors, and probably always will be. It is seen by immigrants as the preeminent social ladder. There is nothing wrong with that.

And many folks complain about the cost of medical care--these folks probably dont' want the supply of doctors to be tightened.

Even considering all of this, does the system make sense?

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

http://www.cougarboard.com/noframes/...tml?id=2806286

I'm more concerned with someone reading my CT scan that actually knows what the hell they're doing than whether or not somebody's family member could or couldn't get into med school. We need more docs anyway.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

I'm more concerned with someone reading my CT scan that actually knows what the hell they're doing than whether or not somebody's family member could or couldn't get into med school. We need more docs anyway.

It's not like all these foreign docs are excellent (though some if not many are).

You want to see a psychiatrist who struggles with English? Plenty of those out there.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

It's not like all these foreign docs are excellent (though some if not many are).

You want to see a psychiatrist who struggles with English? Plenty of those out there.

English proficiency would be part of competeny level--for any doc I would imagine not just psychiatrist. My point is protectionism wouldn't be a factor in my decision on this subject.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

English proficiency would be part of competeny level--for any doc I would imagine not just psychiatrist. My point is protectionism wouldn't be a factor in my decision on this subject.

Let's not kid ourselves. This is not a free market. This is more like a command economy, with bureaucrats deciding how many foreign docs will be taken.

This is forced importation, not the free market. So "protectionism" does not really apply.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Let's not kid ourselves. This is not a free market. This is more like a command economy, with bureaucrats deciding how many foreign docs will be taken.

This is forced importation, not the free market. So "protectionism" does not really apply.

When I hear people say they're worried about a family member not getting into med school because a foreign student took his place, there are elements of protectionism to the argument.

You know more about this issue than I do. At first glance a number of 1/4 international students might seem a little on the high side but not outlandish. If they are top notch students, I don't see a problem. I'd like to see them double the med school population over time. You can't walk outside without tripping over a lawyer, but I have to schedule two months in advance to see my doctor.