Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 966391)

But they have to get into Med school which is competitive.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 966397)

You CANNOT educate yourself into more I.Q. points. I.Q. is pretty much innate with some chance of some change but not a lot..
Only the top three percent of the population; the intellectually brightest people, are candidates for med school. No school can make you smarter. It can educate you in the material that you will need to become a physician, but you have to be smart enough to absorb it and emotionally strong enough to practice medicine.

Originally Posted by dbussone (Post 966402)

Perhaps, but I can tell you from personal experience that many (probably most) colleges with strong science schools have pre-med tracks that leave little time for anything but core science courses/pre-med requirements. The first year undergrad may have English, a language, etc. But by the second year students are trying to survive organic chemistry and other similar courses.

It is not uncommon, for those who know they will go the pre-med route, to take AP courses in high school to get extraneous courses out of the way.

Originally Posted by blueash (Post 966611)

Where did you get your statistic? Here is the last published data I could locate for your claim, and it is the opposite of your conclusion:

Mortality rates and causes among U.S. physicians. - PubMed - NCBI

"Among both U.S. white and black men, physicians were, on average, older when they died, than were lawyers, all examined professionals, and all men."

Originally Posted by dbussone (Post 966884)

It appears you neglected to read/consider data provided by a previous poster. perhaps because it didn't support your position?


CONTENT/OBJECTIVES: No recent national studies have been published on age at death and causes of death for U.S. physicians, and previous studies have had sampling limitations. Physician morbidity and mortality are of interest for several reasons, including the fact that physicians' personal health habits may affect their patient counseling practices.
METHODS:
Data in this report are from the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance database and are derived from deaths occurring in 28 states between 1984 and 1995. Occupation is coded according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census classification system, and cause of death is coded according to the ninth revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
RESULTS:
Among both U.S. white and black men, physicians were, on average, older when they died, (73.0 years for white and 68.7 for black) than were lawyers (72.3 and 62.0), all examined professionals (70.9 and 65.3), and all men (70.3 and 63.6). The top ten causes of death for white male physicians were essentially the same as those of the general population, although they were more likely to die from cerebrovascular disease, accidents, and suicide, and less likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia/influenza, or liver disease than were other professional white men.
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings should help to erase the myth of the unhealthy doctor. At least for men, mortality outcomes suggest that physicians make healthy personal choices.

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 966933)

I just found that the male life expectancy has gone up to 75.2 Search: Male lifespan increasing - U.S.A. Today.

So doctors on average live 2.2 years less than the average male.

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 966933)

It seems that U.S. physicians don't live as long, on average, as the rest of the population. I believe the average lifespan in the U.S. is about 78.

White physicians only live to 73 on average

Black doctors................68.7

Surgeons................68

Originally Posted by perrjojo (Post 966966)

One thing is clear, everyone of us has a different opinion. I think it would be good to ask your doctor next time you go in. Why do doctors think less people are going into practice? I am certain there are many reason.

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 966254)

Perhaps 8 years of college are too many. Let's at least shorten it to about 6.

Too many non-essential courses are required.

A doctor should not be expected to be all things to all people. So why is a doctor required to take X number of years of a foreign language?

How about courses like art appreciation and music appreciation etc. When was the last time you discussed art or music with your doctor?

Algebra? Trigonometry?

How does a doctor use algebra when diagnosing a patient? If diagnosis = y and treatment = x, outcome = Get real!!!

We end up paying for all the time and money they spend getting their education.

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 966254)

Perhaps 8 years of college are too many. Let's at least shorten it to about 6.

Too many non-essential courses are required.

A doctor should not be expected to be all things to all people. So why is a doctor required to take X number of years of a foreign language?

How about courses like art appreciation and music appreciation etc. When was the last time you discussed art or music with your doctor?

Algebra? Trigonometry?

How does a doctor use algebra when diagnosing a patient? If diagnosis = y and treatment = x, outcome = Get real!!!

We end up paying for all the time and money they spend getting their education.

Originally Posted by Bizdoc (Post 967141)

We have the 6 year people - we call them Physician Assistants. They have a 4 year undergrad degree plus a 2 year professional degree.