Brandon Lee retweetledi
The system is deeply broken, but blaming the salaries of those working in the trenches of healthcare is deeply misguided.
On Thanksgiving Day, a child came in to the hospital in cardiac arrest. I spent over 8 hrs at their bedside before they were stable enough for me to walk away to round on my other patients. They needed CPR, a breathing tube, a central line,and an arterial line in addition to another emergent surgery. They needed an expert who could immediately diagnose and emergently treat the underlying, thankfully reversible disease process. I called and discussed the case with > 4 other subspecialists. I then had to stay and document on that patient and my additional patients that day, resulting in a 14 hr shift away from my young family on a holiday. The patient will have an excellent outcome ❤️
How much do you think I made for this shift? I think the answer will surprise you. My hourly rate is about on par with a women’s haircut at a salon.
To be clear, no one goes into pediatrics for the money. I am not complaining about my pay. There is nothing more rewarding and meaningful than what I experienced that day and everyday I go to work in the #PedsICU as a physician. But I won’t sit here silently while you say we’re overpaid.
Do you want a highly trained physician available to you 24/7 365? Seems like cutting physician reimbursement, which will have a minuscule effect on healthcare expenditure, will only worsen the current physician shortage, particularly in #pediatrics and other non surgical specialities.
Alex Berenson@AlexBerenson
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING THREAD AMERICAN DOCTORS ARE HUGELY OVERPAID COMPARED TO PHYSICIANS IN OTHER COUNTRIES. WORSE, THE WAY THEY’RE PAID DRIVES UP COSTS FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. But everyone is afraid to take them on.
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