Mock 12: What is your role managing health care resources?

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Here's a question I had at my Western Interview. The wording isn't precise (my interview was two years ago, please give me a break) but the theme is essentially the same.

 

"What do you know of health care resource shortages in Ontario? {My answer} As a physician, what would be your role in resource allocation? Can you think of a scenario where this would be an issue?"

 

 

 

 

 

Edited the subject heading to standardize them. -Ian

[Guest MayFlower1]

UWOMED2005,

 

"What do you know of health care resource shortages in Ontario? {My answer} As a physician, what would be your role in resource allocation? Can you think of a scenario where this would be an issue?"

 

This is a tough question...this is how I would answer:

 

I must admit that I know very little about the resource shortages in Ontario with the exception of what I hear from physicians I know, what I read in the paper or hear in the news or what I experience as a patient. One of the things I've experienced is the long waits in emergency rooms at hospitals when I've had significant and emergent health issues. As a physician, my role to help the resource shortage would be to contribute a portion of my time to working in an emergency room. Although my plan is to practice family medicine, I intend to take an extra year of emergency medicine. I believe every practicing physician should consider contributing to hospitals to help alleviate this serious resource shortage.

 

Peter

[Guest tappety tap]

resource shortages? Also, lack of nurses and machines for diagnostic tests.

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Sorry! I knew my wording was off. By RESOURCES I meant financial and material shortages. . . ie MRIs, implantable defibrillators (great example btw, if anyone cares enough to research this topic before their interview!!),

[Guest lots of thinking]

Along the same lines and I think after the Romanow report everyone needs to think about how we can "fix" the health care system in Canada- a great question is: Is more money the answer to fixing the health care system??

 

what are others thoughts on this?

[Guest tappety tap]

New money won't help at all if there is no accountability for what happens to it. As it is right now, there is a lot of wasteful spending...and adding to that isn't necessarily the answer!