The entire practice of medicine, anywhere in the country, has been effectively outlawed for anyone who declines to participate in the “match” system, and spend at least one year working insane hours with no recourse when the work hour rules are violated (name one program that has ever had any sanctions imposed on it for violating the work hour rules; name one resident who has ever filed a formal complaint about repeated work hour violations and been transferred to a different residency program as a result). The current, often disregarded, limits include a 24 hour shift. There’s no shortage of medical literature about the ill effects of going that long without sleep, both on the mental and physical health of the individual going without sleep, and in the impaired judgement and slow reaction time associated with that length of sleep deprivation. There is also no shortage of medical/psychiatric/psychological literature about the effects of sleep deprivation on ability to learn and retain information.
As it stands now, technically someone can legally practice medicine in the US after only one year of this abusive program. In practice, since the government and government-regulated insurance programs have become the payers for the overwhelming majority of medical care, it is impossible to practice without spending at least 4 years in one of these abusive programs, and getting certification by one of the boards that the government recognizes. What if I want to be treated by a doctor who has maintained good personal health practices and made family and community a priority throughout his/her adult life? I can’t, because the government has outlawed that. Where does the Constitution permit government to do that, both to would-be doctors and to patients?
“What if I want to be treated by a doctor who has maintained good personal health practices and made family and community a priority throughout his/her adult life? I can’t, because the government has outlawed that. Where does the Constitution permit government to do that, both to would-be doctors and to patients?”
You are free to see Homeopathic physicians that have not “done an abusive residency”. You are free to see a chiropractor who can “adjust your spine” and cure your migraines. You can see a podiatrist that will make you shoe inserts to help your hypertension. All this quackery is paid for by the “Government and Insurance Boogie Men” you seem to want to rant about.
If you choose to be treated by a physician of allopathic medicine, then you have of your own free will choosen to support the traditional and evidence based therapies they espouse. If you don’t want to, I have the name of a great witch doctor in the downtown area that will kill a chicken, burn it’s entrails and make you all better.