Comments on: Primary care is supported by international medical graduates http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by.html#comment-83615 Anonymous Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:18:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by-international-medical-graduates.html#comment-83615 Why is everyone so hung up on rural healthcare? There is no need for income redistribution to rural docs. Nobody else makes more money working in rural locales so why should one expect a doc in the country to earn the same as a doc in the big city? Seems to me opportunity for all is mostly in major urban centers, that is where most people live, and that is where our doctors and healthcare facilities should be concentrated. Few people including doctors really care to take the road less traveled by choice and that is rational. Why is everyone so hung up on rural healthcare? There is no need for income redistribution to rural docs. Nobody else makes more money working in rural locales so why should one expect a doc in the country to earn the same as a doc in the big city? Seems to me opportunity for all is mostly in major urban centers, that is where most people live, and that is where our doctors and healthcare facilities should be concentrated. Few people including doctors really care to take the road less traveled by choice and that is rational.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by.html#comment-83612 Anonymous Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:23:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by-international-medical-graduates.html#comment-83612 IMG's are just a marker for the relative undesirability of a specialty or a location. If it were desirable, US citizens would be there first.<br/><br/>But overall, IMG's have practice demographics that mirror US graduates, and specialize a little more than US graduates. To the extent that you see IMG's in rural settings, they're more likely to be in J-1 positions. As soon as they've fulfilled their J-1 requirements, they head for the lucrative suburbs as fast as US grads, if not faster.<br/><br/>And that's not trying to be insulting to IMG's. I'd do the same if I were in their shoes. Just saying that IMG's aren't the answer to access problems in rural America. You want docs to practice in rural America, you select medical students who are from those areas, and you pay them adequately, to make it worthwhile to go back. Instead, we pay them less. IMG’s are just a marker for the relative undesirability of a specialty or a location. If it were desirable, US citizens would be there first.

But overall, IMG’s have practice demographics that mirror US graduates, and specialize a little more than US graduates. To the extent that you see IMG’s in rural settings, they’re more likely to be in J-1 positions. As soon as they’ve fulfilled their J-1 requirements, they head for the lucrative suburbs as fast as US grads, if not faster.

And that’s not trying to be insulting to IMG’s. I’d do the same if I were in their shoes. Just saying that IMG’s aren’t the answer to access problems in rural America. You want docs to practice in rural America, you select medical students who are from those areas, and you pay them adequately, to make it worthwhile to go back. Instead, we pay them less.

]]> By: Health Punkhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by.html#comment-83585 Health Punk Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by-international-medical-graduates.html#comment-83585 1. Duh. Our lower reimbursements for primary care still lead to a relatively higher income for IMGs. <br/><br/>2. Great post, Dr. A.<br/><br/>3. No one is talking about the ethics of this. Our underfunding and thus undersupply of primary care physicians is depleting the critical primary care need in other countries. Read the article at:<br/>http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/5/6/DC1<br/><br/>One could argue that our poor choices are inadvertently affecting the rest of the world. <br/><br/>Anyway, got to run. We're goin' to Wal-Mart for a while, then to Applebee's for dinner. 1. Duh. Our lower reimbursements for primary care still lead to a relatively higher income for IMGs.

2. Great post, Dr. A.

3. No one is talking about the ethics of this. Our underfunding and thus undersupply of primary care physicians is depleting the critical primary care need in other countries. Read the article at:
http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/5/6/DC1

One could argue that our poor choices are inadvertently affecting the rest of the world.

Anyway, got to run. We’re goin’ to Wal-Mart for a while, then to Applebee’s for dinner.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by.html#comment-83561 Anonymous Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by-international-medical-graduates.html#comment-83561 IMGs could support primary care for while if you take into account the IMGs migration from UK and the ones who will bypass the UK and come to the US instead:<br/><br/>http://casesblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/uk-closes-its-doors-to-foreign-doctors.html IMGs could support primary care for while if you take into account the IMGs migration from UK and the ones who will bypass the UK and come to the US instead:

http://casesblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/uk-closes-its-doors-to-foreign-doctors.html

]]> By: Dr. Ahttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by.html#comment-83560 Dr. A Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/primary-care-is-supported-by-international-medical-graduates.html#comment-83560 Thanks for the link! Thanks for the link!

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