Last week found me in the beautiful snow-scape of State College, Pennsylvania, speaking to the Pennsylvania Mountains Health Alliance, a consortium of 15 regional hospitals. There were a number of highlights… not the least included enjoying snow that we don’t see much of in South Carolina, having a great dinner with a number of the CEO’s of the hospital; speaking in the most technologically sophistocated venue I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking in at Mount Nittany Medical Center; meeting the new handler of Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators; seeing my friend and health-care prognosticator, Jeff Bauer, Ph.D., and making a new friend, Dennis Pointer, Ph.D., a governance board expert.
Jeff was speaking about a variety of topics he forecasts for health-care but here was one nugget of information that really struck a chord.
Physicians coming out of medical school today are not interested in the practice style of physicians of past generations. Physicians who would basically work 24/7 schedules with call demands. Many recent graduates are more interested in working 12 hours on and 12 hours off.
Can you blame them? If they worked only five days a week, that would still be 60 hours a week. Don’t see any labor unions advocating this for their workers!
So factor in the percentage change of doctors who used to work 24/7 lives, or any physician reasonably choosing a lifestyle that works more than 12 hours a day, and try replacing them by physicians who only will work 12 hours a day, for five to seven days a week.
Do the math.
What do you get?
Instant physician shortage to meet the 24/7 needs of patients.
Simple math. Scary results.
2 Comments
Some argue that the physician shortage is partially due to the increased number of female doctors. They claim they have less longevity than their male counterparts, take more time off for maternity and family matters, and work less hours and take less overnight call.
Brain Blogger recently wrote about this issue. We would love to hear your commentary. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Shaheen
Usually work more than 12 hours a day. But I’m thinking to cut my working hours as the quality of me services discreases when I feel tired.
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24/7, a thing of the past…
Tray Dunaway: “So factor in the percentage change of doctors who used to work 24/7 lives, or any physician reasonably choosing a lifestyle that works more than 12 hours a day, and try replacing them by physicians who only will work 12 hours a day, for…
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