Online CPR Certification Blog

As a practicing medical doctor, there are of course some few things you regret regarding your specialty selection or medical training. One thing that I really regret is failing to take advantage of masters degree program in Health Administration offered at my medical college. During that time, I was completely focused on being a doctor and on medicine solely. Little did I think about the business aspect of medicine and I thought it was of little importance. Actually, I never gave business aspect of medicine any consideration, something that I regret today.

What doctors regret about

In a medscape discussion held recently, attending physicians from different specialties held a discussion on collective and individual regrets. A number of doctors seriously regretted having chosen the specialty they were practicing. Pathologists seemed to be very unhappy about the choice they made considering the current state of affairs in the job market as well as foreseeable future of health care industry. There was also an ER doctor who regretted greatly for not selecting to pursue a surgical career. A few general practitioners also regretted opting for Primary Care.

The main concern for most of the doctors was what they did actually get or never got when they were training. Ophthalmologists and gastroenterogists complained of lack of proper training on the business aspect of medicine and cited this as a gap that needed to be filled. According to a recent research, nearly a half of medical student graduates in America do not get sufficient training to help them understand the strategic approach of the healthcare system and economics of medicine. A recent article published in New England Journal of Medicine recommended the addition of healthcare policy to the curriculum of medical schools.

Physicians at University of Michigan said that medical student & resident education needs to include instructions on the functioning of the healthcare systems, especially now when complicated healthcare reforms have been introduced in the country. Without the necessary education in healthcare system and health policy, doctors are practicing without critical tools that need to be present in any professional toolbox. Recently, U-M Medical School added a new elective course teaching about healthcare policy. According to information available, the course has been enrolled maximally.

Concerns about the current medical training

But what most stakeholders in the medical industry are really concerned about is whether there is really any time available for integrating this information to medical training and post graduate schools, which are overflowing with info already. There is great concern on how the curriculum can be integrated effectively in clinical permeate educational training and instruction without putting other topics at jeopardy. One thing that stands for sure is that needs need to understand and appreciate the business of medicine to make them all around professionals. This is crucial for doctors who need to oversee and market their practices successfully.