Discussion Are doctors overpaid?
What do y'all think?
Personally, I think their salary is just fine. People argue that they're overpaid because they compare doctors in the US to the rest of the world. In reality, doctors in the US make more because of how difficult it is to become a MD/DO here. Similar to how professional athletes are paid millions, being a doctor is not just a job. It's a lifestyle. Certain specialties require 24/7 attention. I see how hard doctors work and I know first hand what it's like to have to be on call for 24 hours a day (I've done it for a few times, can't imagine for 30+ years). I know how difficult it is to prepare for med school, and I have yet to imagine how difficult med school is.
A salary is determined by supply and demand, and due to the low supply, I think doctors are just fine and deserve the extremely large paycheck.
35 Comments • Newest first
@TrueAtheist: and you need to read carefully.
i don't judge =/= i don't know
no. they're in school for 8~12 years and save lives around the clock. very valuable part of society
[quote=darkspawn980]@aznseal: i don't judge the worth of actions by "supply and demand" the fact that some entertainment is payed in millions while doing things that can save your life net you 10 grand or so, blergh.[/quote]
Then you're simply being ignorant of how the market system works.
[quote=uiluj4]is that the 200K thread?[/quote]
probably
[quote=darkspawn980]@aznseal: i don't judge the worth of actions by "supply and demand" the fact that some entertainment is payed in millions while doing things that can save your life net you 10 grand or so, blergh.[/quote]
The same can be said for soldiers, but the truth is "anyone" can enlist and be a soldier.
@aznseal: i don't judge the worth of actions by "supply and demand" the fact that some entertainment is payed in millions while doing things that can save your life net you 10 grand or so, blergh.
[quote=darkspawn980]compared to soccer and football players, they're severely underpaid.[/quote]
But you have to look at supply and demand of professional athletes.
No. I don't think doctors are overpaid. They pretty much deserve what they earn for all those intense work hours. Plus, working with sick patients they risk a chance of getting sick themselves for their job. They also have to pay back their medical school loans, which isn't a small amount as the interest accumulates..unless they [i]didn't[/i] take out loans. So it's a fair share.
Doctors are not overpaid at all. In fact for many general practitioners (family doctors) I don't think they make ENOUGH money for the schooling, stress, debt, insurance costs, long hours, risk, etc... they incur as part of their profession.
Not to mention they are saving freaking lives- it's hard to get more valuable than that!
Like any field there will certainly be outliers that are arguably making more money than their overall social benefit would warrant (high priced niche specialists to the stars of Hollywood, etc...). But by and large the doctors that any of us are encountering in our lives are not overpaid.
[quote=darkspawn980]compared to soccer and football players, they're severely underpaid.[/quote]
My what a ninja you are.
^Pretty much what I was going to say.
compared to soccer and football players, they're severely underpaid.
General doctors are not overpaid but some specialties are definitely getting overpaid...
[quote=TrueAtheist]I've never heard someone complain that doctors are overpaid; so no, I don't think they're paid too much.
@LowWillpower It's a lot easier to become a soldier than a doctor.. Anyone can enlist, you just have to sign up and not be a fatass. It's illogical to think soldiers deserve as much money as doctors do; like the OP said it's all about supply and demand. Likewise, it's way easier to become a cop than a doctor as well.[/quote]
Not to mention it takes more talent to save a life than to take a life.
I've never heard someone complain that doctors are overpaid; so no, I don't think they're paid too much.
@LowWillpower It's a lot easier to become a soldier than a doctor.. Anyone can enlist, you just have to sign up and not be a fatass. It's illogical to think soldiers deserve as much money as doctors do; like the OP said it's all about supply and demand. Likewise, it's way easier to become a cop than a doctor as well.
[quote=Imgr8haha]Actually, everything that I said is truth. I guess you have not talk to doctors nor have friend that actually attend medical school. It can also be easily check on the statistic of medical student graduating per year now to see the supply coming out. As for the 24hr call, talk to any doctors and they will tell you the same thing. Lol.
But whatever the future for doctors are, you won't be in it.[/quote]
Are you stupid? Like, i'm seriously wondering.
Medical school has a high graduation rate because it's mostly on a pass/fail system. Needless to say, it's still extremely difficult to "pass". And if you think medical school entrance is easy, then lol. The 24 hour thing is also false because depending on specialties, some are permanently on 24 hour call. I have probably talked to/spent time with/hung out with more doctors and medical students than you know.
[quote=Imgr8haha]Well, guess from a bias perspective of someone who is trying to get into med school is good ground.[/quote]
Ill break your post down, and inform you how everything on it was wrong.
"Med school is easy to get into."
No, med school is extremely hard to get into. Most acceptance rates are around 7% acceptance rate. Now, pre-med on the other hand is a lot easier to get into, but is just the beginning.
"And it's a lot harder to get into the medical profession in other countries than the US. "
No it's not, why do you think a lot of US doctors are from med school in other countries. Mainly the Caribbean, because it is generally easier to get in over there, but everything is credited in the US. In other countries you just need a fat wallet really.
"24 hrs are only on the first few years. It's not a lifetime unless you chose a specialty that require you to have your own client."
No, it is all the time. Doctors are on such low supply that they are on-call all the time.
" So, they are overpaid. And there is not a low supply of doctors but the reason they can charge such high prices and people are still willing to pay is because everyone is so scare of death."
Well this is a 50/50. They are not per se scared of death, but they don't want to get into worse conditions. It costs so much because of the schooling costs, and the low supply. People are willing to pay it because of one, health insurance lowers the "cost" somewhat on their part. So it is not that much for them.
Your statement is like aznseal said, uninformed.
well, actually doctors are paid a lot because the test/path to become a doctor is difficult and selective.
So doctors salaries are inflated, but I think deservedly so.
You are paid equal to the amount of education you have. My grandma knew a specialist doctor who was in school for 10+ years...
needless to say he made a very large sum of money but he worked his ass off to get there. Doctors are not overpaid, but i do think there are some doctors that aren't very good..just my two cents.
Professional athletes are overpaid.
Some actors/actresses are overpaid (Kirsten Stewart)
I always thought some doctors had low salaries, but the pension makes it all equal in the end compared to say, engineers.
[quote=Irony]can you imagine the "supply" of dentists if the pay was low?[/quote]
Like next to zero.
A similar thing is happening to vets. The supply is so low because
1) Just as hard, if not harder to get into vet school than med school
2) Pay is really really crappy (most people would put their dogs down than spend 10k to treat it)
3) A huge debt to pay back with crappy pay
@Imgr8haha: No, because what you said was just objectively wrong lol.
@LowWillpower: There are MANY more people capable of going through soldier/police training than graduating med school. There's a reason why the armed forces is a common backup to people who can't get into college (for non financial reasons).
Nah, I really don't get it. Sure, it's a pretty necessary profession, but there are lots of those.
Should we not also start greatly compensating police officers because of the kinds of danger they expose themselves to to protect us? How about our soldiers?
Many professions come down to the exact same bottom line as doctors, increase in quality of life, sure they should get some compensation for the schooling, but I think they can still be dramatically overpaid.
can you imagine the "supply" of dentists if the pay was low?
[quote=Imgr8haha]Med school is easy to get into. And it's a lot of get into the medical profession in other countries than the US. 24 hrs are only on the first few years. It's not a lifetime unless you chose a specialty that require you to have your own client. So, they are overpaid. And there is not a low supply of doctors but the reason they can charge such high prices and people are still willing to pay is because everyone is so scare of death.
Also, honestly, if you think athlete deserve to get pay million, you will not get into medical school. Lol. Truth.[/quote]
Quite possibly the least informed post on medicine I have ever read.
Anything in the medical field SHOULD be highly paid. So no, I don't think dentists are overpaid.
professional athletes on the other hand
[quote=ErvTheMan]No no no, I am about 99.99% sure you did. You were talking about how med school and all is extremely expensive, and they are in debt for a long time. How they need those amounts of money because of the costs of the education. It's cool, I get it. I agree. I plan on becoming a doctor as well. However, Im just trying to get it straight.[/quote]
Oh. That was just me pineappling with Snovvy.
[quote=aznseal]No. A few months ago i was posting about how Obamacare was/is a bad idea.[/quote]
No no no, I am about 99.99% sure you did. You were talking about how med school and all is extremely expensive, and they are in debt for a long time. How they need those amounts of money because of the costs of the education. It's cool, I get it. I agree. I plan on becoming a doctor as well. However, Im just trying to get it straight.
those residency years are made up with a doctors salary, of course they deserve it. and most were at the top of their class, we should reward those with good pay.
[quote=ErvTheMan]Didn't you make this exact same thread a couple months ago?[/quote]
No. A few months ago i was posting about how Obamacare was/is a bad idea.
Didn't you make this exact same thread a couple months ago?
[quote=gangar32]@aznseal: some are overpaid. not all of them. you cannot deny that[/quote]
In that case I agree.
Players like Lebron or Kevin Durant deserve way more than what a max contract limits them to, where as I can do what Scalabrine or Luke Walton does and they get paid a lot.
I agree that their salaries are fine, some are overpaid, but majority are either average or a bit under. The reason why doctors deserve to earn so much is their dam education. To just earn their MD, they already go through eight years of college without doing residency yet. And depending on what type of Dr. they become, they can become in debt up to half a million and go through 12 years of education.
read the title
had a feeling aznseal wrote it
[quote=gangar32]^ always first post lol
OT: i agree that professional athlestes are overpaid. doctors may deserve it more cuz of amount of work put into it[/quote]
They're not overpaid. How many people can do what the pro athletes do?
it's all about supply and demand
It's not an easy yes, no question to respond to. Some are, some are not. Physicians are not on the same set of circumstances.
Doctors' salaries are fine as they are.