However our immigration department is notoriously restrictive for strange reasons…I’d suspect your prospects might be better now. We are facing a growing doctor shortage.

Require disclosure of performance metrics and let the market decide–not self-serving professionals.

… that felt good, getting it off my chest

“How is the public, at least in the US, able to sort out the good from the bad ones”

Why not begin with the state board of medical examiners? It may not guarantee a “good” doc but there may be red flags. My own state medical board website (azmd.gov) clearly lists any discipline issue (including PDF’s from the board of the sanction and event), number of malpractice events, and board certification. Of note, my state bar website (arizona) does not list malpractice events or action taken by the bar against a given lawyer under that lawyers “bio”. Though if you dig around the site long enough you can find actions taken by the bar against lawyers by the year (no PDF’s or explanation however). Now CJD, you tell me which system is more open? You might want to look at your own house before throwing stones at others.

“Physicians are more protected by the way healthcare is funded than credentialing requirements”

Interseting, I can’t tell you how many time insurers have denied claims “after the fact”, that is after treatment has been given. Out of curiousity CJD, what do YOU do when a client refuses to pay his/her bill?

No sanctimony intended. Sorry if you interpreted my comments that way. Exactly how was I sanctimonious ? Is anyone who disagrees with you “holier than thou” ?

You’re not a “nurse practitioner” (sic), perchance ? I am open about my “bias”, what is yours ?

“Physicians are more protected by the way healthcare is funded than credentialing requirements. As it is now, people just go to whoever has the earliest available appointment and is in their plan.”

Makes no sense to me. Please explain. You are also making broad statements without evidence. Please justify.

In all honesty, I am interested in open debate on such issues. Please provide the evidence to support your population-based statements.

Cheers
Dr Dork

Sorry for the sententiousness ha ha

But you do make one point that needs to be addressed. You talk about how intelligent physicians must be, how there are a few bad ones. How is the public, at least in the US, able to sort out the good from the bad ones?

What standards can we look to in making a decision on which physician to use? Physicians are more protected by the way healthcare is funded than credentialing requirements. As it is now, people just go to whoever has the earliest available appointment and is in their plan.

CJD

Have the courage to stand by your convictions, people !

Yes, I am a doctor, so those of you in a “market” healthcare system like the US will perceive a conflict of interest.

I greatly respect nurses, and have no problems with them doing whatever they are qualified to do. But the government motivation is all about cost cutting, not optimising healthcare, which is the priority, to my mind. If a nurse wants all of the responsibility of a doctor, fine, go to medical school. Entry is entirely based on academic merit here. Cost is negligible, relative to the US.

It’s simply a lot cheaper to have someone less qualified…and my longterm solution is training more doctors ! Especially we should be recruiting talented people from associated healthcare fields…which rather deflates the “self-interest” argument, as I’m advocating more “competition”.

Sure, there a few bad docs. They tend to get struck off. But consider this – one must be highly intelligent to train in medicine..intelligent enough that we can have our pick of careers. If it was about the money, we would be lawyers, stockbrokers, not carers for the sick and the suffering.

Notice how CPAs and lawyers dont allow underlings to take over their tasks from them.

Of course, when you are dealing with healthcare, everybody considers it a “fundamental human right” so of course government responds to letting anybody practice medicine.