You make too much money!

[the_std]

It seems now like the main argument is that since I personally might do the same thing, it's ok...

Actually, that was merely one argument put forth by Ree. The more applicable one to this debate, the real reason I believe doctors make as much money as they do, is here...

You apparently didn't pay attention to the part where I said it goes beyond covering expenses. There's also the fact that the truly dedicated are on call 24-7, leaving them little to no time for a personal life. There's a reason that the burnout and divorce rate among medical professionals is as high as it is. This doesn't deserve compensation?

Really, it's a fairly simple equation. The people who do the jobs other people don't want to do are going to be paid more, otherwise no one would do them. This applies to people doing yucky jobs as well as people doing jobs that require enough specialized training that it interferes with their life outside of work. If we didn't pay doctors this much, we would have a lot less people willing to subject themselves to the insane long hours, the stress, the debt and the myriad other problems that only present themselves in a unique situation like a doctor's.

Being a doctor is not a fun job. Doing it "for the people" is not enough for us to keep enough doctors around to deal with our relatively high population.

[muses_nightmare]

Does it work differently in the US, but here I've never seen any GP that has to be on call 24/7, never. The only ones I have seen be on call are those that work in ER in the hospital and specialists, and the ER doctors only if the hospital they work in isn't open 24 hours in which case there would be a doctor working nights, if not more than one.

With the costs they way they are in the US I don't see why I hear people railing against universal healthcare, at least I don't see why I don't hear of many people arguing for a better way to provide it. I know that not everyone does, but the most vocal seem to be against it because it's "socialist" or somesuch, which is really kind of stupid. But admittedly I don't really know the entire political situation when it comes to that in the US. *shrugs*

[Greenday]

They don't have to be on call, but they can make themselves available to patients if they want to. It's all a matter of preference.

[muses_nightmare]

They don't have to be on call, but they can make themselves available to patients if they want to. It's all a matter of preference.

So it's their choice, and while it's a nice thing to do for patients, they don't have to be doing it if they feel they aren't making the money to do it or whatever. Those that choose to put themselves on call that much can't really complain about the hours if they are hours of their own choosing now can they?

[linguist]

So it's their choice, and while it's a nice thing to do for patients, they don't have to be doing it if they feel they aren't making the money to do it or whatever. Those that choose to put themselves on call that much can't really complain about the hours if they are hours of their own choosing now can they?

That same logic could be applied to any choice one makes in life: you made the choice to (fill in the blank), you have no place to complain. It could easily be applied to most threads in this section.

Besides which, who said they're complaining? Just because they made the choice to make sacrifices doesn't mean they shouldn't be compensated for those sacrifices.

[Ree]

It seems now like the main argument is that since I personally might do the same thing, it's ok...

You are criticizing them for making a profit for providing an essential service.
I was merely pointing out that, unless you are willing to "walk the talk" and claim that you would not do the same in the same circumstances, then you really don't have a leg to stand on with your complaint.
I didn't say it made it right, although I don't have a problem with doctors being properly compensated and making money.

[Andara Bledin]

You are criticizing them for making a profit for providing an essential service.

Actually, that's not at all what he was doing.

He was criticizing those who make an obscene profit.

What constitutes 'obscene' is up for debate.

^-.-^

[telecom_goddess]

Actually, that's not at all what he was doing.

He was criticizing those who make an obscene profit.

What constitutes 'obscene' is up for debate.

^-.-^

I gotta agree with this. It's one thing to make a profit and have a good life but there are people out there that make way more money than they are actually worth. But I don't agree it's the doctors...it's sports figures and movies stars. Do they really need to make hundreds of millions? no they don't. They could live quite nicely on a million or two. God knows I could. It isn't necessary to have 3 or 4 homes all over the place for god's sake. ONE suffices for most people.

[Greenday]

it's sports figures and movies stars. Do they really need to make hundreds of millions? no they don't. They could live quite nicely on a million or two. God knows I could. It isn't necessary to have 3 or 4 homes all over the place for god's sake. ONE suffices for most people.

Or when they own their own freaking island.

At least doctor's do something to better the world.