Primary Care Doctors

There is a new rush of medical school students in to Primary Care as opposed to specializing. There has been a shortage of primary care doctors in the US for the past 30 years. Who can blame them with the salary differences? If you graduate with over $100,000 in debt, wouldn't you go for the highest salary to try to get rid of it as son as possible?

An off shoot of health care reform is an increase in demand for primary care physicians as well. But now more doctors are specializing so it looks like we will be seeing lots of young, new primary care physicians for a few years.

I met my new primary care last week to talk about my knee which hurts when I walk upstairs or wiggle my foot around or at other weird times. But when its hurts, it really hurts. I reminds me of how my other knee felt ten years ago after a day of skiing ended up as a toboggan ride down the mountain, followed by an x-ray, knee brace and eventually surgery. But that's an old medical adventure.

My new primary care was very nice. She is young. How young is young? She got out of medical school in 2007 and finished her residency last year in 2010. That means she was probably born after my first cancer diagnosis. She is also about 5' tall and probably weighs 100 lbs soaking wet. But she seems to know her stuff. Also, she'll probably out live me.

Now some young doctors you just want to smack them in the head and tell them how things work because you as the patient know more than they do about the hospital. I once had an intern tell me all about how he had heard that all the rooms at the hospital were private rooms. I told him I knew that because of my frequent stay plan there. The nurses rolled their eyes at him - all ego, no brains - but it was his second day so we could have cut him a break.

But this doctor seems to know more than me so I'll cut her some slack at my annual physical in May. In the meantime, I hope other people can find new, nice primary care physicians in the coming years.