Sunday, November 11, 2007

Pay Them, and They Will Come

I came across this article in the Financial Review a few weeks ago. Unfortunately it is not online, so I have had to transcribe it manually. It raises a lot of issues - the declining status of doctors in our society, the hotch-potch of remuneration packages needed to fill gaps in medical staffing due to poor workforce planning, the loss of job satisfaction and thus the reducing amount of dedication to the job amongst new doctors.

In the same way that IT workers might flit from consulting contract to consulting contract, doctors are increasingly moving from locum position or locum position. Just as the mining boom is stealing young workers away from their apprenticeships, medical workforce gaps and locum positions steal young doctors away from their long-term training programs.

Why should you spend arduous years, giving up family time and being worked like a dog, when you can go somewhere in rural Queensland and be paid handsomely for something that you could do in your sleep?

Is There A Doctor In The House … At Any Price? - Australian Financial Review
(Click to Expand)


By the way, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the figures given at the end of this article.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for transcribing that article. I enjoyed reading it. Why not put it up on PagingDr too? ;)
(But please put up a little warning that it is a very long article ahead)

Cheers

Anonymous said...

Thank-you for transcribing. Extremely interesting and scary read. As a wide eyed eager medical student to be - I found this article really prompted more thinking about my future should I successfully pursue a career in medicine.

It illustrated many truths about the public attitude towards medicine that I already see while working in a hospital. Coming from a female dominated profession, I am familiar with how part-time workers affects how the profession is viewed and valued.

I too, however, see myself as part of the problem in wanting a lifestyle in years to come rather that work a 60 or 70 hour week. I sincerely wish that there will be opportunities to enjoy the profession of medicine whilst achieving my other personal goals for family..........

Milk and Two Sugars said...

Why does no-one point out the obvious potential benefit of having part-time doctors: that they're more likely to be satisfied, well-adjusted, not gulity that they never see their children, not socially isolated, and not - or so I hope - at such high risk of the predictable consequences of hard work, long hours, and social isolation: drug abuse, depression, and suicide?

Yes, the generation Y doctors are selfish in comparison with their forebears. We do want a life, and feel entitled to one. And despite the disservice I might do the country by not jumping immediately into private practice after qualifying, I don't feel even the slightest bit of guilt about it.

(Sheepish, I know this comment can be read as if it's directed at you; it isn't. Just at the issue in general.)