As I was studying in the education center today, a woman comes over and introduces herself as a journalist. I agree to be interviewed for her article, and we start the tape. The first question is, have you had influences that encourage you to pursue primary care. hahah... my response? "Let me share a bit of my background, I am actually an HST MD/PhD student... (read: very very likely not ever primary care)." But she was still interested in hearing from me, and in fact, we had a very interesting conversation. I made two points about primary care that I honestly had never thought about before the moment I said them.
1. The payoff for going into primary care right now is not worth the investment. This is true economically, socially (the glam of the profession), or intellectually. But as the numbers decline, and this profession comes into high demand, then the relative value of this field will increase and again attract more students to it.
2. In terms of how to attract more people to the field. Just as how in HST/MSTP, we are on a set path and are passionate about academic research, if there were such a program for primary care, we would have equally passionate people dedicated to going into that field. If such a program existed at Harvard, these students would be backed by the prestige and opportunities available.
Right now, I'm thinking that Harvard doesn't deem the shortage in primary care as significant enough to initiate such a program. The journalist also said that of all the people she's interviewed here, no one has suggested such a possibility (which I believe also speaks to the general mindset).
1. The payoff for going into primary care right now is not worth the investment. This is true economically, socially (the glam of the profession), or intellectually. But as the numbers decline, and this profession comes into high demand, then the relative value of this field will increase and again attract more students to it.
2. In terms of how to attract more people to the field. Just as how in HST/MSTP, we are on a set path and are passionate about academic research, if there were such a program for primary care, we would have equally passionate people dedicated to going into that field. If such a program existed at Harvard, these students would be backed by the prestige and opportunities available.
Right now, I'm thinking that Harvard doesn't deem the shortage in primary care as significant enough to initiate such a program. The journalist also said that of all the people she's interviewed here, no one has suggested such a possibility (which I believe also speaks to the general mindset).
3 comments:
"The payoff for going into primary care right now is not worth it...intellectually"? This is very condescending towards the vast quantity of MDs who, unlike yourself apparently, are actually interested in treating patients. To imply that their careers lack intellectual challenge and that the only true intellectual challenge is to be found in research is simplistic and narrow-minded.
"If there were such a program for primary care, we would have equally passionate people going into that field." There is such a program, and its called an MD. At the vast majority of medical schools, which view training primary care physicians as their central mission, there is no shortage of "equally passionate people."
MD/PhDs are supposed to bridge the gap between research and patient care, not widen it by making condescending remarks about primary care physicians. I hope the "general mindset" you refer to and the lack of understanding of the role of primary care physicians in our medical system are specific to yourself rather than characteristic of your entire medical school.
Christopher Cole
MS1, Washington University MSTP
Just noticed this post. It is a bit confusing, because it seems to think that "primary care" is just the same as being any type of MD, but actually it is the first line family physician or internist who the patient sees before getting referred elsewhere for specialized care.
In terms of intellectual stimulation, I mean not only in comparison to research but also in comparison to other medical specialties. The primary care physician has only a few courses of treatment available, and otherwise must refer the patient elsewhere.
I do not think there is any problem in the mindset towards the "role", or importance, of the primary care physician, but there is a problem in terms of the rewards system for primary care physicians as I referred to in my post. I think the problem is harnessing the passion of all the md's, who are all interested in helping patients, to be interested in primary care when there are so many other specialties available that are more attractive.
Interesting to know.
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