Sounds like primary care physicians are going through the same pains in Canada
“Family medicine is a tough sell. Patient needs are more complex than ever. They’re older and not coming through their doctor’s door with one ailment. Some have diabetes and heart disease. Others have had a stroke and are now battling cancer. These aren’t patients that can be seen and sent on their way at the end of a 15-minute appointment . . .
. . . The fee schedule has also caused family doctors pain and led to a lack of interest in the profession.”
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A family medicine-trained physician is exactly what is needed for a complex patient with multiple ailments. Who else will diagnose and treat the patient with metabolic syndrome, bipolar affective disorder, and a nevus needing a biopsy? These “complex” patients are too “complex” for any other specialist to care for single-handedly. Instead, other providers would refer this patient to an endocrinologist, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a dermatologist. This method of treatment only splinters a patient into s set of discrete pathologies (when in fact these issues are part of a whole person) but also racks up massive healthcare costs. Family medicine can provide a part of the solution to our healthcare system’s crisis. And at least for me, family medicine is a rewarding career.
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