What is a Physician
Physicians are a group of
people who dedicate themselves to care for the injured, diseased and or those
in the transitions of life. Revered by most cultures these healers partake in
prolonged, extensive and grueling training to be called the title they become.
Major shifts in technology, pharmaceutical sciences and government intervention
have metamorphosed the role expected of medical doctors. In recent times
physicians moved from managing a patient’s problem to being managed themselves.
Fear of sanction and loss of income from a variety of sources has turned this
profession into a mere utility controlled by a massive bureaucracy. As a result
the glamour and prestige of the practitioner has evaporated leaving vestiges of
a career many sought yet few could obtain. Preparation takes a minimum of 11
years before one can enter the realm of practice. In some specialties 14 years
or more are required before the student is able to rise above that title. When
let loose on society the newly minted physician must face an array of
challenges not considered on the very first day of medical school. Medical
boards, with twisted agendas, to keep the newly stamped licensee in line will
bring much sorry to those who transgress these politically motivated
administrative authorities. Lawyers will target them indiscriminately to move
up the food chain leaving an indelible mark during the process. Long hours,
extreme patient demands, onerous regulatory structure and a system at war with
the practitioner await those who dare step into the medical arena. In 2014 it
is projected that 300 physicians will commit suicide. Depression, driven by
factors enumerated in this text, has brought these physicians to the brink.
Thousands of physicians have bailed on the profession to safer harbors, more will
follow as Obamacare is fully implemented. With the incipience of the Patient
Protection and Affordability Care Act, in March of 2010, physicians and other
health care workers became indentured servants to a massive body of regulations
that re-fabricated the medical industry. To answer ‘what is a physician’ one
must review the transitions now occurring throughout the system. This person is
a shadow of his colleagues from decades past who lost individuality to groupthink
and is a puppet of his taskmasters.
Mark Davis, MD President
of Healthnets Review Services and Davis Book Reviews.
Dr. Davis’ latest book,
Obamacare: Dead on Arrival, A Prescription for Disaster.
