A reader sent an opinion on surgeons:
Hey Happy. Are surgeons lazy? The only docs I ever see hanging out in the doctor's lounge are surgeons. Is that because they have so much time more on their hands collecting 3-5X what I can collect seeing 1/3 as many patients?I don't think surgeons are lazy. That sounds like smart to me.
Surgeons at our hospital are waiting for the OR turnover. They are required by staff bylaws to be in the building, apparently due to liability issues. They're generally not happy about it here. Some are also on trauma call.
ReplyDeleteRegarding reimbursement, I'd lay off the surgeons a bit. They get paid once, frequently discounted, for a surgery and all the aftercare, which can be difficult. I'm an internist, and I think the general surgeons are in the same boat as us primary care docs. Both are not valued as much as what they're worth, and specialists tend to control their work schedule and what they're paid more.
I tend to agree with hotdoc here.
ReplyDeleteThe general surgeons are not overpaid.
The primary care folks are underpaid.
Quite frankly, the specialists are not overpaid either.
It's all the bureaucrats and middleman parasites that are overpaid.
Primary care should get more money for the work and the cognition they provide. That money should come from the parasites however, not out of the pockets of other doctors.
Just how are you seeing them in the lounge without being there yourself?
ReplyDeleteThey kind of take more risk though. Let them sit back and chill. I would never want to be in their shoes. I love my safe little clinic...
ReplyDelete