There are currently 1.2 million people in Ontario without a family doctor.
Patients are waiting forever for appointments to see specialist and for
diagnostic test. Canada's diagnostic equipment is so old, that some is
similar to that used in 3rd world countries.
The Ontario Medical Association is trying to bring attention to this matter.
We have set up a website www.supportourdocs.ca
On this website you will find information about the current problems and
also have the ability to send a letter to your local MPP, the Minister of
Health and Mr. McGuinty. You do not even need to write the letter. If you
click on the area and fill out your name, address, postal code and email
address and hit submit, a pre-written letter will pop up and you can send
it. If you do not know your MPP, you can find it out on the site as well.
It is easy. It is simple and it will help. We need to make the politicians
accountable.
Please help by doing this and by forwarding this email or one in your own
words if you prefer, to all appropriate persons in your address book.
Ontario's doctors are trying hard to look after you with limited resources
but it is getting harder all the time. We need your help.
Thursday, 10 February 2005
Family Doctors
The following is part of an email that was sent to me:
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Doctors and teachers are professions that I respect the most, mostly because of responsibility each of these professions carry on their shoulders. World will survive without software, but without doctors to help us when we're sick or teachers to give us knowledge we wouldn't get far.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is that doctors who immigrate to Canada cannot pactice medicine unless they pay huge ammounts of money for some exams and God knows what other fees. This is the money they don't have. I don't say that everyone who has medical degree from anywhere in the world should be allowed to practice medicine in Canada, but there must be some easier way. Exams and tests are one way to ensure that these people can practice medicine by Canadian standard, but don't charge these people thousands of dollars they don't have. Maybe someone else has some other suggestions.
Canadians Doctors who went to school in Canada also paid a lot of money to be licensed to practice medicine. Does anybody have any numbers as to how much these tests cost?
ReplyDeleteI'm just wondering what equipment they are referring to when they are speaking of stuff used in third world countries. There's lots of stuff that's been in use for a really long time, and is probably still some of the most important stuff to have, like stethescopes, those blood pressure things, those rubber mallets to test reflexes, tongue depressors to look into your throat, and those lights they shine in your ears and eyes. Is this the kind of equipment they are referring to, or are they talking more along the lines of X-rays, Ultrasounds, and MRIs?
How do they count the numbers for who has a family doctor? I don't have one, but i've never really looked. A lot of people don't go see a doctor until it's absolutely necessary. It may be hard to get one, But I think that a lot of those 1.2 million people without a family doctor aren't really looking for one.
I decided to see how much it costs for the exams to become a doctor in Canada. There's two exams you have to take. This is assuming you have graduated from a WHO (World Health Organization) recognized school. As far as I can tell, there are 3 tests.
ReplyDeleteEvaluation exam
http://www.mcc.ca/english/examinations/evaluating_apply.html
Min Cost for new applicant: $1200
Max Cost for new applicant: $1700
Qualifying Exam Part 1
http://www.mcc.ca/english/examinations/qualifying_e1_apply.htm
Min Cost for new applicant: $680
Max Cost for new applicant: $1020
Qualifying Exam Part 2
http://www.mcc.ca/english/examinations/qualifying_e2_apply.html
Min Cost for new applicant: $1430
Max Cost for new applicant: $2145
Total Min Cost: $3310
Total Max Cost: $4865
Well, it sounds like a lot, but that's less than the cost of 1 year of tuition in most undergrad programs. Maybe the tests are a bit pricey, but I think it's important that we ensure our doctors are properly trained.
This is one of those INAL things, but it's more like "I am not a Doctor" so take everything that I say with a chunk of salt.
ReplyDeleteI would suspect that the equipement that they are talking about is more of the X-rays, Ultrasounds, and MRIs. I don't think that the doctors are making a stink about not being able to have up-to-date wooden sticks to help look inside peoples mouths.
If the problem was easy to solve, I don't think that we'd have heard about it.
You don't have a family doctor? That's too bad and you'll be hard pressed to find one in Ottawa. A lot of them are just not accepting new patients anymore at all.
"A lot of people don't go see a doctor until it's absolutely necessary." Okay, that just pissed me off. That is the wrong attitude to have. You *need* to see a doctor regularly for checkups. Family doctors aren't there just to give you some drugs when you have the sniffles. They are there to monitor your health and do preventive health care. For example they tell you that you should exercise more and discuss it with you before you either drop dead or need a quaduple bypass. And since they are involved with you for the longterm they develop more of a relationship with you.
Think of terms of a software developer. Who will make the better software over all? The guy who builds something than helps maintain it over the software lifespan or the guy who blows in, pounds out some unmaintaining code that solves the imediate problem when takes off again? Sometimes you do need the hired expense gun with software, but the people that develop some kind of a relationship (emotional, whatever) are better long term.
I'm totally mixing medaphors right now so please forgive me (and I'll spell check this later).
I'm not arguing about whether or not people need to see doctors on a regular basis. Of course they do. Nobody is going to argue that it isn't. I'm just saying that from personal observation, a lot of people don't go to the doctor. And another point. Doctors aren't taking more patients because they don't have the time to deal with them. Doctor's are people too and can only work so many hours per day. Is it a problem of not enough funding or not enough doctors for the people that need them?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that there's just not enough doctors for the people that need them. I've had a to do a lot of research in occupational sociology lately, and the trend I've noticed is that more doctors are heading for specialization rather than working as GPs. There could be funding issues involved as well, or issues surrounding admissions into medical schools, which would definitely multiply the problem.
ReplyDeleteRelated to this trend is the fact that smaller, more remote communities are having an even more difficult time getting and keeping doctors because (for the most part) specially trained physicians need to be concentrated in large cities that can afford the facilities to do their work/research. I could be wrong about this, but I believe the government has some kind of program in place that gives GPs a bonus of some kind if they set up a family practice in a remote area that is in need.
I think I've taken the fact that I have a family doctor for granted. It's amazing to me the number of people I know who don't have one and are on waiting lists. I just find it very comforting to know that I have my own doctor who knows me and my medical history whenever I have a problem...
Having a family doctor is important. A doctor that knows your health history is much more likely to make a proper diagnosis than someone who doesn't know anything about your history.
ReplyDeleteI don't think people really get it though. If I was a doctor and could move to a small community then I would probably take the offer. Life is so much more relaxed when you don't have to go through the traffic everyday. You have so much more money to spend when, in the case of where i'm from, even the most extravagent house is under $200,000. You can never really appreciate small town life until you live it. It's so much better.
doctors are nothing but over worked morons ready to tell you to go f yourself,i have been to many doctors reason i love given them a hard time no not realy i have been diagnosed with crohns disease 3 times,also i have been told i have gastridis,or is it gastritis oh who cares you look it up if you can also i have been told by one orientle doctor,this is after weeks of terrible abdominal pain and dont forget this doctor has every degree possible and is very respected in the medical field.that i am wearing my pants to tight, what the hell is that i new it was time to look for another doctor i can go on about my experiences but i will just say this if the problem you are having medical problem that is,doesnt jump out and hit the docs in there face you better make funneral plans,or just get ready to suffer thank god for pain killers i hate the people who run this country they are peices of dodo,
ReplyDeleteFamily Physican should be the backbone of our health care system.
ReplyDelete