From my latest article on CNN.com. I now have my own regular column, called Behind The Stethoscope.
Full disclosure: I have no complaints about how much I make.
But many other physicians are not as satisfied – a recent study by Medscape revealed that 49% of doctors believe they’re not fairly compensated. Of primary care physicians, this percentage increases to 54%.
It’s no myth that doctors are some of the highest paid professionals in the country. So why are they complaining?
It’s likely because of situations like Dr. Peterson’s.
Dr. Peterson is a plastic surgeon whom I worked with during my residency. A kind, competent physician, his new, fledgling practice consisted of reconstructive surgery. He treated women with breast cancer, paraplegics with pressure sores, and burn patients.
I was the on-call plastic surgery resident one night when a 42-year-old man – let’s call him Dave – was brought into the hospital at 3 a.m. He had fallen off a roof while intoxicated. Dave broke several bones in his face and shattered his lower leg.
I stumbled out of bed and met Dr. Peterson in the ER, where we spent the next three hours assessing Dave’s injuries and repairing his lacerations. Five days later Dr. Peterson and I performed an eight-hour operation, reconstructing his broken facial bones and performing a muscle transfer to help heal his fractured legs. For the next two months, we visited Dave in the hospital each and every day, changing his bandages and making sure he healed properly.
Not once did Dave thank Dr. Peterson for his care.
Instead, Dave took more than $3,000 from him.
