As Doctors Get a Life, Strains Show
By Danell Swim
April 30, 2008
U.S. medicine is in the middle of a cultural revolution, as young physicians intent on balancing work and family challenge the assumption that a doctor should be available to treat patients around the clock.
Walter Cheng, 32 years old, is in the profession’s new guard. Upon graduating from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2004, he bristled at the notion espoused by some senior physicians that a doctor should put medicine above all else. “I thought, ‘I don’t really want to be that kind of doctor.’ … My family is as important, if not more important, than my career.”
That philosophy influenced Dr. Cheng’s job search. Later this year, he plans to go to work as a hospitalist, an emerging breed of doctor that focuses on the general care of hospitalized patients. He was attracted to the job, at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, by the intellectual challenge of treating acutely ill patients who wind up in the hospital. Another big draw: a predictable schedule. “You come in at a certain hour. When you leave, your pager turns off,” he says.
In a 2006 survey conducted by physician-staffing firm Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, 63 percent of medical residents said the availability of free time was causing them “a significant level of concern” as they entered the profession, up from 15 percent in 2001.
While quality-of-life issues have been long-festering for physicians, today’s medical field is more accommodating. Younger doctors’ attitudes are giving rise to different types of practice options. These range from small, membership-based primary-care facilities to hospital-specific jobs that keep doctors on predictable schedules.
Very informative article on the new trend in the medical field, including obstetrics, where the young generation of doctors refuses to be on call for patients.
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Cynically enough, I see an increase in inductions and therefore c-sections because of drs like this.
Birth attendants should not be able to practice 9 to 5 obstetrics. Anybody working in this specialty should be subject to the understanding that, yes, you will be working nights and weekends. Yes, you will have to actually provide support during labor. And yes, you must keep your hands to yourself if asked.
Because of parental liability issues to the children, families must be fully informed of all associated risks/benefits of any procedure.
Dr.s who actively practice non-disclosure are also practicing assault. Assault on the mum, and assault on the bub. We are seeing so much damage to people, and to the community due to bad birth practice. Preventable damage.