[buckalfa]

One of the solutions to provider shortages or a potential can of worms? Will the fees be one half of the norm as you are seeing half a doctor?

[Vlad The Inhaler]

"I'm not really a doctor but I get to play one in Missouri."

Six months OJT as an apprentice in the local butcher shop should do it.

/s

[TStro]

Texas recognizes PA’s. I am treated at my doctor’s office by one. No problem with it that I can see.

[yuleeyahoo]

I told the witch doctor I was in love with you
I told the witch doctor you didn’t love me too
And then the witch doctor, he told me what to do
He said that....

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang...
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

I told the witch doctor you didn’t love me true
I told the witch doctor you didn’t love me nice
And then the witch doctor, he game me this advice
He said to...

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang...
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

Now, you’ve been keeping love from me
Just like you were a miser
And I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart
So I went out and found myself
A guy that’s so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart

My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to do
I know that you’ll be mine when I say this to you
Oh, Baby....

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang...
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Songwriters: ROSS BAGDASARIAN

[neverevergiveup]

This sounds like an attempt to make it faster and easier for foreign medical graduates to work in the US. The policy has been that if you want to work in the US, and have a foreign medical degree, you have to pass the exams and also do a complete residency (e.g. 3 years for internal medicine or pediatrics). This ensures that those allowed to work here have the necessary experience to not be dangerous.

Most often the foreign medical graduates do their residency at non-university based residency programs that are a lot easier to be accepted at. This Missouri program lets them skip residency training, and makes it easier for them to flood American medicine with foreign medical graduates. These are not people graduating from highly-rated schools in the UK, or Germany etc. This is a big mistake, and by specifically linking lower standards with working in ‘underserved’ areas, it pushes lower-quality medical care specifically on these communities (including rural settings).

[therut]

This is how it was in 1985 when I graduated.

[grania]

This would be an improvement around here. Doctors that have to speak English!

It's no wonder doctors don't like this. People can opt to not have health insurance or for Seniors Medicare Part B and go to a less expensive clinic with a doctor who hasn't finished their residency but has recently completed, most current, medical knowledge.

[Diogenesis]

When the Islamic FMG kill enough, even by
not washing their hands, Missouri will loose
one of their Senators - like Rhode Island.

[I want the USA back]

Expect to see more mohamheads and abduls wearing white coats.

[Doogle]

Teachers in NYC are allowed to teach with NO college degree.....just lowering the standard...

[fwdude]

I’ve had two doctors “retire” out from under me over CommieCare. I’m not surprised by this move by MO and expect many more states to follow. It’s too late to “repeal” O-Scare. The damage has been done and is largely irreversible.

[JustTheTruth]

I don’t think this is correct...

A number of states allow medical school graduates to practice without completing residencies. In Arizona, for example, a medical school graduate who completes the first year of a residency (generally described as an Internship year) can get a license as a physician and practice medicine/hang up a shingle...

[Rusty0604]

They’re just practicing.

[exDemMom]

Note to self: do not ever become sick in Missouri, especially in a rural area.

I don’t want to be seen by a med school graduate who has no experience actually seeing patients. No, thanks. There is a reason for internships.

[Neoliberalnot]

Well, these doctors completed medical school which is not a small feat. The physician assistants (no medical school degree) are driving this objection because they have not completed medical school. The need is to fill the rural areas to provide access to care, at least by a real doctor, that hasn’t completed a residency.

I made numerous comments yesterday on people here on FR actually promoting homeopathy, which is nothing short of snake oil.

[trebb]

...However, we encourage states to pursue more practical workforce solutions, such as increasing the number of state-funded residency positions."

Kid of like the argument for more State/federal funding for schools - spend more money and it will all be better.....while such internships can have positive effects, it is also just as possible to get through one and be a lousy doctor and possible to be a good doctor w/o one...probably not a lot of net gain in throwing lots of "outside the profession" money at it.

[righttackle44]

We may be making medical practice more of a challenge than it really is, in it's simpler aspects.

I used to be the director of a national health program. I once had a physician come to me and present a program in which he proposed to give medical education leading to medical degrees on an on-the-job basis. He said many, many doctors are never called on to give more than simple diagnoses and treatment. (This was before the institutionalization of physicians assistants.) He said that doctors educated in such a way were a viable way of providing medical assistance in communities where little or no medical treatment is available.

Our board, unfortunately, would not give him a place on their agenda-. I thought he at least deserved a hearing.

A physicians association that I worked for supported medical school admission for a man who was not a college graduate. The association believed that he would probably never perform brain or cardiac surgeries, but he would be a competent physician.

He had been a certified medical lab technician, and he had proven himself to be more than competent in understanding the sciences of medine. He performed well on the MCAT, and was eventually admitted to a major university medical school. Last I heard, he was considered a fine practitioner of medicine, and is a medical doctor.

Perhaps, like the traditional practitioners of old time folk or tribal healers who trained young men or women of the tribe to take his or her place one day, our physicians guard entrance to medical practice out of concern that someone may discover which weeds and barks and chants and dances they use to provide healing, by accident.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

So many doctors are turning over a good bit of their services to nurse practitioners. So far, I have no problem with that. All are very well qualified. Those that I’ve spoken with have told me the only reason they won’t become a doctor is the insurance cost.

[Western Phil]

A goodly portion of the “Doctor Shortage” particularly specialists is the result of Hillary Care. Rather than encouraging planting of more flowers along the nation’s freeways or bake some cookies, Hillary was destined to solve the nation’s medical crisis. Nobody was quite sure of what the crisis was, but the high cost of medical care was due to an excess of physicians. Although Hillary Care was never completely implemented, the Clinton administration was successful in reducing the number of Americans entering medical school by limiting the availability of government loans. That is why we now have a shortage of heart specialists and practically all of those are immigrants.

[vetvetdoug]

As long as there are limitations as to what surgery they can do I’ve no problem with this. A PA or a resident can handle internal medicine problems as well as a full termed resident qualified M.D. Its the surgery and specialties that need to make sure they don’t extend their practices into those realms. I’ve noted that osteopaths overextend their qualifications in the specialty services.

[dfwgator]