The road to medical school is a game of numbers. The roughly 1,200 freshmen at the University who initially express an interest in medical or dentistry school are whittled down to 300 to 350 by the time applications are filed in the spring of junior year, and only around 45 percent of these students will be accepted into LSU’s medical program.
It is clear that the competitive nature of pre-med and medical students is not shared by everyone, and thus the field incidentally attracts some of the most ambitious individuals.
Driven by a strong desire to be part of this prestigious career, I have largely followed the predetermined path to medical school by intermittently sacrificing large portions of my personal time and grooming my GPA meticulously.
Make no mistake — I am not the only one who wants me to become a physician. The United States does as well.
The federal health care bill passed last year will open up health care access to millions of previously uninsured Americans, but some are not sure enough new doctors will be trained to keep up with demand.
Despite the efforts of teaching hospitals and medical schools across the country to attract students, it is predicted that the nation may face a shortage of 150,000 medical doctors by 2025.
To address this issue, the health care bill offers pay boosts and other benefits for primary-care physicians.
However, the dilemma America’s health system faces might have to do with something more valuable than money — time.
Although the technology and infrastructure surrounding a physician’s career continuously evolves, one element that has remained relatively unchanged is the long work week that naturally follows.
According to The New York Times, it was not uncommon for physicians of the past to work 120 hours a week, and doctors today still work between 60 and 80 hours a week, on average. Individualism and fierce competition have served to strengthen these traditions.
For all but the most gifted, this means physicians only have one choice — to be physicians. Pursuing other hobbies or becoming a parent could be seen as a reckless and ill-advised use of time.
I personally know some who have turned to other science careers in face of this quandary.
But the steady entry of women into the medical field and new trends in doctor-patient relationships are rendering this system obsolete.
The old practice of having a handful of personal physicians at one’s demand is yielding to the idea of interchangeable doctors and less intimate doctor-patient interaction. In turn, physicians are accepting fewer weekly hours and spending more time developing their personal lives.
Once such doctor, Kate Dewar, works 36 hours a week so she has time to tend to her newly born twins, according to The New York Times.
Of course, working less means less pay, but Merritt Hawkins, a doctor recruitment firm, found young doctors are placing quality of life above income.
This new breed of doctor might be the answer to America’s physician shortage, and even improve the quality of health care in the country.
The privilege of practicing medicine and possessing a reasonable personal life may prove to be more enticing than any monetary incentive ever could be, and open the career to capable individuals who desire more flexible work hours.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with those still willing to spend 80 hours a week tending to their practice, but there is no compelling reason why this should be the standard for everyone. Private practices will always be available for physicians who prefer the traditional system.
Only time will tell if this trend will effectively create an influx of new doctors, but it is becoming increasingly evident that the current system can no longer weather the changing climate of health care in America.
Chris Freyder is a 21-year-old biological sciences junior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter@TDR_Cfreyder.