Comments on: What are you going to do?

By: The Covert Rationing Blog » Blog Archive » Medical Grand Rounds, Vol 4, No. 41

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:11:39 +0000

[...] maintained that PCPs need to think outside the box in order to salvage their profession, and in What are You Going to Do? Rob demonstrates thinking that is, uh, way outside the [...]

By: cathy

cathy — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:12:56 +0000

I know this was meant to be funny an it was. except, my folks really did have a PCP who sold Amway products right out of his office. Old doc. B. would have you leave his office with a half gallon of aloe vera juice almost every time you went to him. At check out you paid cash for the Amway products you bought. he had my mom swearing that Amway was the new wave in medicine. Don’t you know everything can be cured by a little aloe vera juice? I think he still sells Amway. Where you been? He has been on to it for a long time…:)

By: Gary Levin

Gary Levin — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:38:52 +0000

Rob, I am feeling much better now….took my Lithium, Paxil, and did my monthlly anger management session….Ready to go again….
Got my botox and restylane syringes fiiled up and all the cosmetic lasers are humming….they are energy star compliant…..gary

By: Vijay

Vijay — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:42:56 +0000

No comments Dr.Rob. Any from me would be superfluous.

By: Maderine

Maderine — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:13:40 +0000

i laughed, i cried…the summer’s most hilarious, no–depressing, no–hilarious dialogue comes from a sleeper of a blog!

i was thinking of opening up a little boutique in the waiting room–postcards, snacks, t-shirts, shot glasses. and then, out the back, a bed and breakfast for those driving in from out of town.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:46:53 +0000

It is fictional. I just put that there to be goofy.

Gary: It is a good thing you don’t have strong emotions on the issue.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:22:16 +0000

Am I being silly ? How can you have an “actual” fictional conversation ?

By: mcd7m

mcd7m — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:45:52 +0000

Hello! I am a second year medical student at the University of Virginia. I am doing a research project this summer on blogs maintained by medical students and physicians and I have really enjoyed reading yours! I wanted to let you know about an online journal at UVA called Hospital Drive, which can be found at http://hospitaldrive.med.virginia.edu/ . I think you and your readers would really enjoy reading and perhaps even submitting material to the journal. Happy Reading!

By: Dr. Val

Dr. Val — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:37:01 +0000

Very poignant post, Dr. Rob. I suspect more PCPs will go the route of my own – micropractice, cash-only businesses.

By: Gary Levin

Gary Levin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:43:14 +0000

Here in California we not only face medicare cuts, but also medi-cal cuts, or cut-offs.
I have given serious thoughts to filing a chapter 7, or 11. Its’ a great deal, espcially if you are older…A lot of other businesses do it all the time….have a liquidation sale! You can also probably write off the losses. There is no shame in telling your community that’s it…… Think about it….no more committee meetings,no peer review, no more prior authorizations, no more petty jealousies by primary care docs, no more malpractice premiums…..no more CME expenses, no more society dues to CMA,AMA,county, no more drug reps….
There are several more options. Put a collection plate at the reception window.
“in lieu of copayments, please donate to my family, they need to eat”

Let’s face it, we almost have no control over our financial future….why should we worry about the health of our patients….the insurance companies, corporate money does not,
i get a headache about what I am going to do about it…there is no real cure and why should we worry about it.
Find another source of income….I live near a MacDonald’s restaurant and they are hiring. I see a lot of second career folks there, and a lot of cum laude ROP graduates……You could work your way up to regional manager very quickly. I have an application pending, and if I am hired I will give you a recommendation.

Think about it….you could just sleep in…ride your bike, sell one of your cars, stop shopping at Nordstroms, Bloomingddales, no more mall trips, cancel your cell phone accounts, internet, cable, downsize your living space….

No, I am fed up with others causing my problems. You see they know we are dedicated, and stupid….we are trained to shut up, not complain and carry on, because we ‘CARE SO MUCH ABOUT OUR PATIENTS’

There are about 700,000 of us taking care of 300 million people in the U.S.
Do the math! Frankly this is a bunch B-S. Fire all the folks who are not delivering health care and pushing pencils or keyboards. Then there will be more money for patient care.