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Good article. Thanks, Gary!

The Invisible Writers

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This is a rare rant. Leave if you think the medical community is a bunch of rich, snob, elites who spend their days talking about their affairs, having affairs, or planning affairs.

The article above reminds me of some of the patients my spouse encounters. These patients complain how tough their lives are: they're bored at being secretaries; being parents; can't get dates; how horrible their jobs are as producers/actor/models/waiters, etc. My spouse, of course, has to listen to them as they--again--lie about their ailments; lie about taking (or not taking) their meds; ignore medical advice to treat their cancer because their guru knows better; scream why can't the medical community give them life-long disability because they broke a nail; etc.

My spouse drives three hours to work round trip since there are no medical jobs in Orange County. My spouse doesn't get a lunch: that time's spent entering/filling out the gargantuan records for each patient's illness and why they don't want the standard medical treatment but addictive drugs instead (which they always threaten to sue if they don't get.) After closing hours, it's an additional two-three hours to fill out any forms, call patients who refuse to do any follow ups (the number of people scared to hear if they have cancer, etc., and thus avoid early treatment is amazing!), and contact the labs. Then there's an additional two-three hours of work once getting home to go over more records.
Sigh.
Then there's the medical malpractice stuff. I remember an article last year that illustrated the plight of physicians over in Virginia. If a doctor grossed around 120k, their medical malpractice insurance cost nearly $50k neta year. That means that a physician took home around 29k a year. While that may be a lot in Virginia--I don't know--it doesn't sound like a lot to me.

My spouse is a superb physician even when I look objectively. Yet many a time we've thought about job changes. I feel the stress is not worth it and life expectancy is not high for doctors. There's a grim term for survivors: doctor's widows (widowers). It may sound selfish, but I'd rather keep my spouse alive than help many of the bastards who go into the medical office suing for addictive meds because they can't handle their latest divorce (which, of course, was caused by them having any affair but it's not their fault!)

End rant. That was cathartic. Thanks for 'listening'. Now, back to my regular optimistic attitudes towards people...