Completely agree. It is irresponsible not to teach the business of medicine. Ideally, it should be a required course, right next to physiology and anatomy.
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Thanks for the nod, buddy-boy.
I suggest a background in economics, public policy, marketing, and accounting as a good undergraduate foundation for medical practice. Biology and chemistry majors may need graduate business courses to effectively be able to practice medicine.
The following quote is from a foreword by David Nash at Thomas Jefferson from a book I am reading called Think Business! Medical Practice Quality, Efficiency, Profits (Greenbranch Publishing) … to me, it says it all – I’ve not seen the argument for teaching business to physicians made so eloquently …
“I would wager that most physician readers of this book have never had a formal opportunity to learn most of the content presented herein. I would further wager, that most physician readers have no sense who the modern masters of management are including Senge, Drucker, Collins, Demming, and Kotter. These giants have revolutionized the business world and it is as though our physician colleagues have been left out of the conversation. Ironically, physicians control nearly 16% of the world’s largest capitalistic economy and have little or no preparation to actively participate in the management of those resources.
Kudos then, to Owen Dahl, on his insightful and helpful book, principally designed in my view to get physicians back on track, enabling them to grasp the main take-home messages from the management and leadership giants named above. Here is my analogy. In American medical colleges and hospitals, we are building a physician on the factory floor akin to the 1975 Detroit model of a Chevrolet Impala with rear wheel drive, no airbags and no antilock breaks. The marketplace on the other hand, is demanding a “physician Honda Accord” with every conceivable safety and electronic gadget.” – David B. Nash, M.D., M.B.A., FACP
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