Fascinating insight from a Kaiser ER physician.
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{ 5 comments }
The fact that Kaiser can get away with hiring docs at 30% less salary and working more hours tells me one thing:
1) The so-called “doctor shortage” is an absolute myth. If there were really a doc shortage, no way in hell would KP be able to hire anybody to work those kinds of hours/wages.
Many of the doctors they hire aren’t american grads. A lot of their physician workforce are FMG/Indian. They exploit physicians by hiring international doctors who will agree to their terms. If you don’t mind having all your professionals from another country, then I guess there is no doctor shortage.
Can sub-specialists weigh in on this?
I can understand how the bustle of the ER would make a 40 hr work week more exhausting than the private practice norm (esp. with the norm weighing in at 30 hrs), but how about those specialists like vascular surgeons or neurologists?
I know a neurosurgeon that went to Kaiser after 15 years in private practice. Loves it.
I know an ophtholmologist who hates not having autonomy or input into how things are done, but feels bound by the “golden chains” He does enjoy his 9-5 day, his 1.5 hour lunch in which he “works out”, and his wednesday afternoon CME “golf time”.
I don’t know where he is writing from but southern califonia Kaiser physician pay is very competetive. They do not have the recruitment problems they used to have.
anon 5:09 clearly isn’t a physician, otherwise he would understand a couple of things:
1)residency doesn’tallow exposure for many residents to what is available in the real world, and with a family and loans, etc,, the offer Kaiser makes may sound good.
2) Living in a certain area may make it more difficult to get the job you want right away. And as the post says, once you’re in, you’re drummed into submission. It isn’t just Kaiser. In any large, corporate run hospital, this is the mind-numbing game they play with unsaavy physicinas.
The “doctor shortage” is not “exposed” as a myht by your error in linking this articlewith free market type arguments. But keep pretending its not a problem. Then when you have to wait three months for an appointment, you can smile knowing its “just a myth”
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