In certain type of population, in certain time, I think a number of young people with all requirements to be a good (acceptable for most people) physican IS DETERMINED. For example, a 1 000 000 population can produce lets say 100 good physicans per year, physicans that want to help and cure people. In my country the number of births per year drops to 55% in the last 20 years, but the number of students that enter the first year (and exit the last year) of medical faculty almost doubled in the same period. I know we need more and more physicans because population is getting older and older. But what kind of physicans will emerge in this and next years?
There is nothing sacred about medical education. Anyone with average intelligence can be trained to be a physician. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-03-02-doctor-shortage_x.htm
The imported kind. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Many doctors are moving to America from many different countries more than are being graduated it would seem. That is how they are keeping up with the older generation.
American medical schools have not increased the number of physicans trained in decades. In order to drive up physican salaries (earnings). This is another succesful effort to restrict supply by government fiat and drive up costs. I don't care how many tax breaks the Republicans give to buy healthcare insurance. Unless they deal with the fundamental cost factors, they are pissing in the wind. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-03-02-doctor-shortage_x.htm