MCSpicerack Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Hey guys, I was just thinking about how to address the shortage of rural/family doctors; do you think implementing a height rule would help? For example, only men over 6 feet, and women over 5"7 can apply. I think that would fix the shortage, (oh snap I am so bored, and a big loser) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadzillar Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I'd hold on to that in case you get an interview where they ask you to tell a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Hey guys, I was just thinking about how to address the shortage of rural/family doctors; do you think implementing a height rule would help? For example, only men over 6 feet, and women over 5"7 can apply. I think that would fix the shortage, (oh snap I am so bored, and a big loser) I'm going to have to kick you next time I see you on campus. Not everyone can be a towering power of cool MC But I still laughed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I did too - laugh, that is. Esp considering I wouldn't meet the requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahZ Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 woot I agree, I am in for sure!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoCa Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 If that's the case, I'll definitely manage squeeze through haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireDragoonX Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 removed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoCa Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I'm Asian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degoo_ Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 I didn't get the joke at first. I thought first to myself: Man, that would result in even fewer doctors going to those areas. Is that the joke? Man.... and then when I got the joke, I realized I wouldn't make it into that med school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCSpicerack Posted January 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 I think your reply to my "joke" was funnier than what I wrote....and that's why I'm a sub-par comedian...haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degoo_ Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 On a serious note, I was asked this during a mock interview, and I said that the regional bias of some schools, as well as the opening of NOSM which favours northern rural areas are good starts to address the issue. The discussion then directly turned to the nature of the bias and whether it is fair or not. Anyone else address the issue differently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCSpicerack Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 hey... based on what I've read, i agree that initiatives which 1) favor rural/northern applicants 2) set more flexible GPA/MCAT cut-offs will train more physicians who will return to work in rural/norther settings. In addition, I think promoting medicine as a potential career to students with an interest in highschool and then providing monetary resources to help them through undergrad and medicine is also a good idea. Then, we can also encourage medical students early in their training to do clinical work in rural/northern settings...this exposure can show some students that they enjoy the rural lifestyle, as well as the benefits of practicing rural medicine (more responsibility, more variety... ..more good stuff that I don't know about). I'm sure there's more, holla back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eesanr Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I'm quite sure I'm in the minority here, but I a believer that while regional bias may recruit more future doctors to certain parts of Ontario, these policies are inequitable and should not continue in the future. I agree with provincial quotas at schools because medical schools (and health care) are provincially funded institutions and as such, should serve the citizens of the province first and foremost. Because they are provincially funded institutions, these schools should treat Ontarians with similar qualifications equally. The differences in cutoffs base on which community a person comes from violates this principle of horizontal equity that should be/is a cornerstone of public policy. Anyone think that this is too inflammtory to get into interviews (esp. at Western)?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muchdutch Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it. You also back your opinion up with reasonable arguments. While I would tend to disagree, I would still respect your opinion if I were interviewing you (but that's my uneducated 'pre-med' guess). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyMax Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Hey, I agree with provincial quotas at schools because medical schools (and health care) are provincially funded institutions and as such, should serve the citizens of the province first and foremost. Because they are provincially funded institutions, these schools should treat Ontarians with similar qualifications equally. The differences in cutoffs base on which community a person comes from violates this principle of horizontal equity that should be/is a cornerstone of public policy. This begs the question of how you would address the shortage of doctors in rural/underserviced communities under your policy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brut33 Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 If we look at the 2002, 2004 research studies into trends in med student post-grad choices in the CMAJ we can see that the students being admitted to med schools, across the country, are the least likely to go into rural medicine. It is indicated in the studies that older more settled applicants tend to gravitate towards rural family practices, while their younger counterparts tend to go for specialties other than family medicine, especially in rural areas. The other interesting thing shown in the studies is that people from rural areas are more likely to practice in rural areas. The funny thing is that most med school students don't come from rural areas and if we then look at the key determinants of health we can see are variety of reasons for this. It might take a real "paradigm shift" to fill the shortage...or perhaps a free flowing supply of growth hormone to raise the bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 I'm not surprised that most young people don't go into rural.....most of my peers aren't dying to have to drive a monster truck through the wilderness for 2 hours to grab a beer at the nearest bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 I'm not surprised that most young people don't go into rural.....most of my peers aren't dying to have to drive a monster truck through the wilderness for 2 hours to grab a beer at the nearest bar. Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyMax Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Yeah, that sounds like fun! BTW, what are you doing this weekend, pb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Looking at fixing the shortage from an economics stand point. http://canadianeconoview.blogspot.com/2007/01/luring-doctors-to-rural-quebec.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Looking at fixing the shortage from an economics stand point. http://canadianeconoview.blogspot.com/2007/01/luring-doctors-to-rural-quebec.html If they also raise money to pay for the doc's Benz, it's gonna work wonders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 This argument from BSF (the author of the blog I linked to) always gets my shackles up. "The proportion of females in med school classes has been rising steadily over the years, but given the tendency of female doctors to work fewer hours than males, as older, male physicians retire and are replaced by female doctors we're likely to have to increase the total number of doctors - as measured by the number of warm bodies with MD degrees - just to hold the supply of physicians' services constant. Still, I doubt that we'll hear anybody complaining that we spend as much to train a female GP as we do to train a male, but get less care for our money from a female." He has graphs to support it. We got into a wee argument in class one day over it. My contention is that many women are workaholics (and many men play lots of golf) so dismissing the number of hours we'll work seems premature. To be very clear, I'm being sarcastic about gender roles to point out that they can be argued either way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 That'd change once the society gets the idea that MEN can also take care of children. Paternity leave is there, but how often does it get used? If men bothered to take paternity leave and spend more time with their children, this would soon even out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eise Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 But really, who are we kidding here? Honestly, I plan on working part-time for a few years when my non-existent children are young. So I do see where the critics are coming from. But I do plan on working full-time once they are in school. And besides, even if we do work less hours than our male counterparts, aren't we the preferable sex requested by patients (not sure if this is actually true but I know I choose to see a female physician for my 'womanly issues' - not sure how many men actively seek male physicians)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaymcee Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 There has to be a real attempt made at sexing up rural medicine, first by getting people to stop thinking of "rural" as a four-letter word. Too many young people envision dirt roads and rednecks as the hallmarks of a rural community. This isn't necessarily the case, and it often isn't, of small towns. Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism has a great series of 30-second spots that make the rural lifestyle look pretty appealing. Medical schools have to do this, too. They have to advertise the benefits of living in a rural community and practicing medicine there. Rural living is favoured more by older people looking for a slower pace, not generally by young, ambitious hopeful doctors. This problem will take time to solve, but I don't think offering preferential admissions policies will help. Incentives after you get your MD to study sound more equitable to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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