Why does everybody hate MDs???

Good point about doctors not being there when you need them. It's easier to sue a doctor than it is to see a doctor.

That was a much more reasoned and well-articulated response than the OP would have been expecting. I would have left it that most MDs have an over-inflated sense of self-worth and a total lack of passion. They are the stalwarts (in the United States) of a system that profits on the misfortune of others. When the mafia does this we put them in prison.

10/10. All very good points.

It's almost bizarre how the medical field in the U.S. operates like an exclusive club. In one of Milton Friedman's books (I can't remember which one) he goes over the Hippocratic Oath and shows how the American Medical Association has used it as a justification to set up a cartel like you described. Doctors are treated like guardians of secret knowledge and skills and have the authority to determine who else can officially practice medicine. They have set up a clear division of roles to minimize internal competitiveness in the medical field. If you're going to get your bladder operated on then you'll go through

(1) A family doctor to refer you to a urologist

(2) A urologist to look at your bladder

(3) A anesthesiologist to put you to sleep

(4) A surgeon to operate on you

(5) A pain specialist to give you pills

and each one of those is getting paid a hefty sum.

Don't forget about the drug companies that make the pills. Hell, even the companies that make the plastic sheets get paid a fortune!

"Why does everybody hate MDs???"

"If you ain't gone be the best, then you might as well hate"

anonymous rapper

Black Med Student wrote:

"Why does everybody hate MDs???"

"If you ain't gone be the best, then you might as well hate"

anonymous rapper

Did I mention an over-inflated sense of self-worth?

MDs are hated because they make people dependent on medicine. They are so eager to prescribe medicine for every health problem that they are creating a society of drug addicts.

And patients are part of the problems, too. They expect their doctors to prescribe medicine, and if they don't, then they will try to find another doctor who would.

And the rest of us are paying for their addiction.

Just Another LRC idiot wrote:

MDs are hated because they make people dependent on medicine.

I usually say bad things about Sweden but one of the good things they have done is eradicated MRSA from their hospitals by restricting antibiotic use.

I'm a pharmacist and I deal with Drs a lot. Really most of them are ok people but it does attract some huge god complex holes. I also have issues with the old doctors that refuse to come up to speed with current practice and treat patients like it was still the 60s when they graduated. Then the pill mills pain "specialists" how are quasi legal deals i hate these types of doctors. The rest are ok esp if you don't expect them to be experts outside their practice area. Why would a family med dr be the one to see when you're trying to treat some obscure running injury?

The hospital CEO makes $30 million in some cases, same with the insurance company CEO's. If you want to hate on someone for being over paid hate on them.

Have you been to a hospital and have seen how all the nursing staff complain of not being able to take breaks because of the insurmountable amount of work they have to do? Or deal with the complaints of sick patients and their grandmothers/grandfathers/children/spouses?how about the fact that regardless of the unsafe nurse to patient ratios, they are still expected to complete their charting after a long shift, even if its off the clock? Although I make 137k base salary (plus additional 40k retirement and comp health benefits) as a staff rn, I definitely work for my money. Ratiodude, learn a thing or two about economics- the market doesn't give a s*** if someone was educated in "soft" science. Valuation of salary is purely a supply and demand dynamic. As long as society needs my position, and I'm in short supply, Ill keep making this salary that you wish you had. Btw, if I worked as much as a medical resident does (80+hrs) with my current job, ill top out at 300k/yr. Not bad for somebody who's been educated in "soft science)?

Have you been to a hospital and have seen how all the nursing staff complain of not being able to take breaks because of the insurmountable amount of work they have to do? Or deal with the complaints of sick patients and their grandmothers/grandfathers/children/spouses?how about the fact that regardless of the unsafe nurse to patient ratios, they are still expected to complete their charting after a long shift, even if its off the clock? Although I make 137k base salary (plus additional 40k retirement and comp health benefits) as a staff rn, I definitely work for my money. Ratiodude, learn a thing or two about economics- the market doesn't give a s*** if someone was educated in "soft" science. Valuation of salary is purely a supply and demand dynamic. As long as society needs my position, and I'm in short supply, Ill keep making this salary that you wish you had. Btw, if I worked as much as a medical resident does (80+hrs) with my current job, ill top out at 300k/yr. Not bad for somebody who's been educated in "soft science)?

I love McDonalds!

Most residents don't work 80 hr weeks, most don't work 60. I really doubt you make 137k as a RN unless you are working 12 hr shifts everyday. If you want to brag about salary you will still make about 1/3 or 1/4 what a physican makes.

My salary is the norm here in norcal. I work 40/week. 1.5 ot shift differential. And yes I am only making 1/3- 3/4 of md salary (depends on salary); but I have no debt and I got my associates rn degree in 3 years (inclusive of prereqs) at a total coat of 5k total through com college. I had a couple of friends who started same time I did. They just finished med school, 300+k in debt with accruing interest, working avg 80 hrs at internal med residency. Doesn't even have time to wipe his a**.He'll average 240k after residency. My excess income is going towards maxing out 401k, funding a business that revolves around my interest and may soon be profitable, and my mortgage which ill probably profit from selling in this market. Yes my friend will have higher income. But will he ever catch up to my wealth? Its questionable.

half??? wrote:

Who the hell pays half their salary in taxes?

I do. Self-employed engineer, wife is an early career attending physician at one of the top hospitals in the country and makes about $145,000 a year. Her salary puts all of my income in the 28% tax bracket. Add 15.3% for payroll tax (you didn't know your employer has to pay this too?) and 5.6% for state income tax and 49% of every dollar I make gets taxed. I could see doctors with their own practice getting very close to a 50% rate, not to mention all the money they pay out for malpractice insurance.

If your abnormally high nurse salary (most make 60-70k) is because of geography, then a physican living in your region will have an abnormally high physician salary. So your buddy could easily find a job in your area making over 300k+ even in primary care. Will he ever catch up with your wealth? Most likely. For some reason people like to think MDs are drowing in debt, most people have around 200k in loans yes, but when you make 300k+ yearly, paying those loans back at around 15-20k a year is not a problem, even after taxes. The only docs who pay their own malpractice are ones who own their own practice. Plus there are so many hospital loan forgiveness programs nowadays, a lot of doctors don't worry about it.

I suggest you do a bit more research or get an accountant.

No way that you are paying close to 50%.

Read this post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/09/19/heres-why-the-47-percent-argument-is-an-abuse-of-tax-data/

Social security tax only apply to the first $118k, and i'ts only 6.2%. After that, the rest of your payroll tax (15.3%) is probably witholding and be refunded (stop making the rest of us feel sorry for the extra money that you'll get back anyways). So, you're combined tax rate is probably closer to 30-35%

I guess there's one way you can mess things up and get taxed 49%- don't file taxes this year, and lose your refund.

Also, ask your wifey to have the hospital pay for malpractice. even smaller hospitals pay their doc's malpractice; or write it off if you have to pay it.

Btw, to put it in perspective, your wife's salary alone affords you a lifestyle 2x more than the average American family (not including your income), so stop complaining.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Doctor of Osteopathy wrote:

I hope you never get cancer. You'll be damn glad for a good oncologist. And since when is surgical knowledge "trivial?"

What sports injuries involve cancer you moron?

IDK why, but this exchange had me chuckling.