Comments for Kyle Varner's Blog

Comment on Homophobia Among Future Doctors? I Thought They Were Educated! (you know…at least a little…) by Jesda

Jesda — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:03:53 +0000

I don’t like gays, but I love musicals!

Seriously, I’m surprised to hear of homophobia among aspiring medical professionals.

Comment on Barak Obama’s National Slavery Plan by Joanne Williams

Joanne Williams — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:29:52 +0000

While I absolutely agree with Kyle about the philosophical dangers inherent in Barak’s idea to mandate community service, I would also like to point out a major practice problem that will arise as soon as Barak tries to begin to mandate that we “serve our communities.” Namely, that we will have to, as a nation, agree on what activities should count as community service for the purpose of fulfilling each young American’s mandated quoted. Obviously, most people will say that working in soup kitchens and animal shelters should count, but what about greyer areas? If a church group stands on a corner and hands out Bibles to help people become more moral, should that count as community service? What about volunteering in an abortion clinic? Should the Jehovah Witness, who woke me up one morning and made me lose sleep just to give me a brochure about their god that I didn’t want, get community service credit for this act? The truth is, much community service done in America today is done to propagate or spread a religion by providing services in the name of that religion. How much of this proselytizing will be considered as being in the service of the community? An even grayer area would be helping with a fundraiser for, say, the Catholic Church. Some of the money raised will go to feeding starving children, but some of the money will go spreading Catholicism. Since the act is part charity and part proselytization, should it count for government mandated community service?
We cannot all agree on what is truly in our community’s best interest. If we could, we probably wouldn’t have two main political parties, numerous minor political parties and countless religions alive and thriving in America. To give a broad mandate that youths must “serve their community” requires making many value judgments about community service that will, by their very nature, require whichever official makes them to break the separation of church and state. Barak is opening a Pandora’s Box of lawsuits as different groups battle over the unpaid servitude of the millions of youth’s required to perform free service for whoever can get government recognition as a “community service.”
Kyle is right about the philosophical dangers of community service, but even if you don’t believe him, or don’t believe in the ideal of liberty and freedom of choice that our country was founded on, as least stop and think for a second about if the idea of legislating that youths perform something as subjective as “community service” is even possible in such a multicultural country. And if nothing else, consider the cost to the government, and you the tax payers, of all those lawsuits and all the bureaucracy that it will take to run a program large enough to control every high school and college student in America.

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by » Doctors Become Beggars!

» Doctors Become Beggars! — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:04:08 +0000

[…] Kyle has a reputation for providing reliable and awe-inspiring information. Check out the latest post on Doctors Become Beggars! that may be of interest. Below summarizes what was written: […]

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by Tony

Tony — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:39:44 +0000

You state, “I don’t believe that health care is a right because I don’t believe that I have a moral obligation to “serve” others. I will probably be coerced into doing so, and this angers me.”

From a social standpoint, our society has spoken and has indeed determined that health care is a right. Along with sewage, clean water and vaccines, universal health care in the form of Medicare is one of greatest achievements in the history of public health. On a personal level, however, nobody is an indentured servant… you can practice medicine and opt out of Medicare and thereby avoid “government” payment.

Neurology would be a tough specialty to practice eschewing Medicare, but not impossible. It’s too bad that you haven’t even started your career and you already feel “coerced” and “angry.” You call doctors “beggars” because their political action committee pleads their case to Congress. You seem somewhat young to be so cynical.

Relax. After all the sausage is made in Washington, primary care physicians will make 3X the median salary in the US and proceduralists will make about 5X. You will still be able to choose which patients you want to care for and you can still charge whatever you want for your services– that will never change.

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:14:29 +0000

Tony, let me ask you a question: If someone robs my house, does that give me the right to rob my neighbor’s house?

People who paid into medicare were robbed. This is the unfortunate truth. This does not give them the moral right to steal from someone else.

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:22:31 +0000

Tony, I am in complete agreement with you when you say that the rewards are worth it in medicine, and I’m not talking about the financial rewards. If I wanted to go for real money, I’d have gone to law school, and I certainly wouldn’t be interested in pursuing Neurology as a specialty.

I don’t believe that health care is a right because I don’t believe that I have a moral obligation to “serve” others. I will probably be coerced into doing so, and this angers me. I also believe that income taxation amounts to theft. I get stolen from every year. Just like I eat food from street vendors even though I know I’m going to get sick once in awhile, I’m not going to pursue a specialty in which I am uninterested in order to avoid being victimized in any way.

You make a very important point: Medicare’s creation was a huge boon to physician salaries. And now some physicians are sitting on the steps of capitol hill, hat in hand, begging to keep the money coming. That is shameful.

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by Tony

Tony — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:09:08 +0000

One more thing: Medicare is NOT welfare and people on Medicare have paid into the system. Medicare has alleviated much hardship for the elderly who rely on it and has done so with at least as much efficiency as any private insurance. Government can provide a worthwhile service although you obviously will never believe it.

The worse frustrations in medicine are NOT from Medicare. The real frustrations, and the greatest drain on the health care system, come from the uninsured who get sick and require care… and those numbers are increasing.

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by Tony

Tony — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:09:18 +0000

I admire your altruism. Unfortunately the type of altruism you possess can be extremely frustrating when you become a physician, so choose your specialty carefully so as to avoid the infirm, the poor and the needy. My advice is to consider aesthetics or perhaps law school in place of a residency. Seriously.

The wisdom I have acquired with the 20 years I have served since entering medical school has taught me that the greatest rewards in medicine are not financial, although we are able to make a good living in this culture.

Furthermore, health care is a right in western civilization. When someone gets sick, they go to the emergency room and get treated. Acute care hospitals are compelled to care for them and physicians, even those in private practice, must serve in order to maintain their hospital privileges. So, if you truly believe that health care is not a right, then stay away from any field that requires participating in a medical staff in an acute care hospital.

There is no question that physician salaries are decreasing and frustrations are increasing as Medicare funding is being strained. Politicians do not have the answers and doctors’ groups don’t either, but that is the system. Even so, it’s better than it was 50 years ago when many people had no resources to pay anything for their health care, and doctors routinely accepted barter for their services. The biggest boon to physician salaries was the Medicare system and now the system needs an overhaul.

I feel your pain. Practicing medicine is a continuous struggle and it never ends. But the rewards are worth it.

Comment on Doctors Become Beggars! by John

John — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:06:25 +0000

I couldn’t disagree with you more Kyle. It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better. And for you idealistic position on weeding out the gluttons-they will only resort to emergency room care, costing all of us more and more. no one survives on their own anymore…didn’t you know that? haha. Mind the beer truck theory. You can hate beer all you want, but that’s not going to keep you from getting hit by a beer truck.

Comment on MSNBC Debate…Mike Huckabee’s Brain by Bob Ham

Bob Ham — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:50:27 +0000

Kyle, it is time Ron Paul stepped down. His staying in the race is becoming disgraceful. Enough is enough already!! Bush has already endorsed McCain, the game is over. Pack it up and take your whining snibbling asses home. Jeeesh!!, you guy are really showing how idiotic you can be. Don’t you care about democracy? Ron Paul is wasting way too much money and effort. The choice is McCain or Obama, that is it!!! Nothing else is on the menu, grow up and get used to it.