Imagine training for ten years in an environment that is abusive, isolating, and stressful.
Imagine going $250,000 into debt for that training.
And imagine that at the end of all this, you have a 50 percent chance of being unsatisfied with your job.
This is the path for physicians in this country. But why should it matter to everybody else?
First, the short term: Quality of care will decrease. When the person in charge of your health is struggling physically, emotionally, and financially, they will not be able to do their best work.
Second, the long-term: If medical training continues to be an enormous financial burden that is abusive and unrewarding, it will attract fewer quality candidates. There is already an impending doctor shortage in the United States.
We must overhaul the medical education system so that it honors our future healers.
Jamie Katuna is a medical student. She can be reached on Facebook.
