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Involvement,
enthusiasm, and hope
By PATRICK M. REIDY, MD
As medical students, residents, and fellows, the only thing
more frustrating than the long hours, belligerent hospital staff, and
loss of family and personal time, is the constant barrage of pessimism
and oftentimes hopelessness regarding the future of medicine in this
country. I remember vividly the wild celebrations enjoyed by so many of
my friends and colleagues upon their acceptance to medical school and
residency. Yet, from the rise of HMOs and the decline of individual
practices to skyrocketing malpractice costs and declining
reimbursements, the decision to become a physician has weighed heavily
on the hearts, minds, and souls of many of those individuals. I, too,
often struggled with my decision. I still approached each patient and
each day with the same quixotic enthusiasm that put a smile on even the
most cynical of my medical school interviewers, but as I saw an
ever-increasing number of patients denied necessary prescriptions,
tests, and procedures, my passion and zeal dwindled; replaced by
disappointment, frustration, and even anger.
Last year, I finally decided to shed my apathy and to involve myself in
the solutions to these problems. I realized that sitting idly,
lambasting pharmaceutical corporations, HMOs, and lawyers for the
troubles in medicine was not the productive path to restoring the health
of our nation. The plight facing medicine, regardless of the specific
issue, was that we, as physicians, lost our power and authority in
medical decision-making; we lost the voice for our patients. I began to
see that the only way to conquer our troubles was to strengthen our
collective resolve. So, despite a busy schedule as a chief resident in
Otolaryngology, I sought out and became active in my local and
professional medical societies.
My involvement in the Wayne County Medical Society, Michigan State
Medical Society, and my activities in my specialty society, the American
Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, has invigorated my
decision to become a physician. I was part of the Medical and Public
Health Committee that reviewed the Report of the Detroit Health Care
Stabilization Workgroup. I watched as a group of extremely dedicated and
motivated physicians spent hours discussing the best way to strengthen
the health care safety net, which is responsible for providing equal
care to the uninsured and underprivileged in our community. As a member
of the Michigan Doctors Political Action Committee (MDPAC), I had the
privilege of hearing from the campaigns of a number of physicians, who
made the difficult decision of putting their practices on hold while
they fought their way to Lansing and Washington. These
individuals, whether Republican or Democrat, had one thing in common:
the will and desire to give physicians and our patients another vote in
the decisions being made by our government.
As a member of my specialty's board of governors, I was fascinated to
learn about the growing public relations campaigns developed to spread
information and education on otolaryngic illness. I participated as
hundreds of my fellow otolaryngologists convened in Washington, DC, to
attend seminars on the legislative process, and to take our greatest
concerns, including malpractice reform, directly to the offices of our
senators and representatives on Capitol Hill.
Through my involvement in my county, state, and specialty medical
societies, I learned that the outlook for the future of medicine is not
bleak. While in the past it may have been fair to characterize
physicians as apathetic, this is no longer true. The community of
physicians at the county, state, and national level will no longer sit
idly by while HMOs, lawyers, and businessmen make decisions for our
patients. The tide is turning, and the number of physicians organizing
to promote the health of our citizens is rising. We are no longer
accepting defeat. Poor laws and bad decisions are being challenged at
the highest levels, including the Supreme Court. I encourage you to
become active in the Wayne County and Michigan State Medical Societies.
The time commitment is minimal, and the rewards are huge. You will
regain your enthusiasm and hope, as you witness the dedication of fellow
physicians who are working hard to promote the health of our patients
and our nation.
Dr. Reidy is Rhinology/Allergy
Fellow, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Chicago.
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