Country Doctor
Get the State of Alaska to pay for Your Education.
ML/LTOS
Posted on 12/27/2014 11:25:55 AM PST by GrootheWanderer
I've got a cousin who is a senior in high school and ultimately wants to practice medicine in a small town.
He's heard that there are programs available to help him pay off any student debt if he choose an area with few doctors. Plus, he's a small-town boy and thinks he'd like to live somewhere like the place he grew up.
He'd been thinking obviously of family medicine, but it looks like there are residencies in rural medicine and even some special tracks in some medical schools in rural medicine.
He thinks a family residency with a rural track would better prepare him for small-town medicine than a straight family medicine or internal medicine residency.
But his parents worry that if he changes his mind and wants to practice in a bigger city or suburb, a rural residency might limit his options.
Any idea on how these rural residencies differ from standard training in family medicine? Is there any real advantage for a country doctor in pursuing rural medicine or can he pick up everything he needs in a family medicine residency? Would a rural medicine residency limit his options of practice?
Get your MD first. The job will find you.
Perfectly legitimate medical degrees can be obtained cheaply in other countries. I’m given to understand several Caribbean countries are offering programs.
Move to the boonies and accept barter for payment in some cases. DO NOT GO ELECTRONIC if possible.
You'll never need food, a car, a house, the plumbing will always work ... and the few dollars you ARE able to garner ... take a vacation every year.
After it's all over ... you will have raised a beautiful and caring family, some of whom may continue in your spiritual life. YOUR body will be relatively disease free, your love (wife/husband) will have known a love and a life God meant for ALL His creation ... and the last scene on your face will be a peaceful smile
Thank you for your service, doc ... we all will miss you ...
And thanx for sending your son to med school and bringin' him back here.
Option: Find a small city out in the boonies. Take the city internship while scouting out a niche in the nearby countryside.
Mail.
My daughter is a LPN and has been selected to run a special training program in her hospital - a group of doctors got together and developed the concept then chose her as the vehicle. They're already talking about footing the bill for her continuing education to go through he Masters. She's bright and will do very well - what a blessing for a father to see one of his children doing well.
Just remember that the ACA haas taken over the student loan system in this country. I predict that by the time he gets his license the feds will be telling docs where they can practice and for how much - if they want to get out of debt sooner. Our, they may go whole hog and just tell him regardless.
Guaranteed lifetime employment.
Rural doctors are never out of work.
“Best path to becoming a country doctor?”
Find another country first...Obamacare will otherwise BITE YOU. That’s why I wouldn’t let my kids get near medicine.
“Perfectly legitimate medical degrees can be obtained cheaply in other countries.”
They’re not cheap, but they are cheaper. They’re also not respected as much - but with Obamacare, it soon won’t matter, as we won’t be selecting our doctors anyway.
So good call.
There are programs that will pay off some medical school debt if he serves a certain period of time in “underserved areas.” There are very frequently the problems of poverty, addiction, alcoholism, unemployment, family violence, etc.
It’s not likely to be a rural idyll, in some farming community or mountain resort.
Medical school loan forgiveness programs:
He could start out delivering rabbits.
Tons of practice...by the litter!
Many a slip ‘tween the cup and the lip.
He’s in high school?
First focus on a university and major for his bachelors.
What is his plan for next year?
Think about studying Naturopathic medicine. NDs aren’t into all the drugs like MDs are. Their focus is on healing rather than treating.
This is a total wild guess, but if he has “rural” leanings, I would imagine that being a crackerjack veterinarian might be as good or better a way to go.
I think the paperwork might be let’s say 85% less.
I think the remuneration might be fully equivalent when you consider time NOT spent filling out forms and waiting for ins reimbursements and hiring that extra body to manage paper in a small office.
Nobody can predict what life will be like for doctors in the future. But people in general love their animals and will pay money to treat them.
My .02
Good idea. This area of medicine is rapidly becoming a recognized area, and people are looking more seriously at this for treatment.
where can you find info on those?
I would love to check into that, become MD and then retire to a third-world country where I can actually help people (rather then rant on FR every day :) )
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