Florida Physician Woes
Posted by WhiteCoat on May 8, 2008
After reading this Op-Ed article, can someone remind me why a physician would actually want to practice medicine in Florida?
I was going to put Disney World as a plus until I read the comments on this article (from the same newspaper) calling it “Dismal World” and “Tragic Kingdom,” and comparing the rides to Viagra - waiting a couple of hours for a two-minute ride.
Amusing.
I guess beaches are a plus, but they will only get you so far in my book. My unexposed skin is fish belly white and I fry like those things in “I Am Legend.”
Well at least if the doctors run out of sunblock, they can just use their Vaseline.
Or should that be the other way around?
May 8, 2008 at 8:06 am
I know people love to go there but I am miserable in heat and long lines. ALWAYS have been and just isn’t vacation to me, even though I know the attractions are great. I have a friend who has gone there every few years since college and she is so familiar with the place that she knows just how to time everything and she could be a tour guide. Her son proposed to his fiance in front of the Magic Castle when the fireworks were going off.
I can’t imagine getting into an altercation over someone cutting in line! I bet you’d take their picture.
Maybe the attraction of the lifestyle in Florida outweighs the financial drawbacks for physicians. ?
Didn’t have my morning coffee yet and so perhaps a bit slow on the uptake but I don’t get the Vaseline comment. ?
May 8, 2008 at 11:19 am
I have no idea why a physician would want to practice here, after reading that article.
I’m not a physician, but just had to drop my 2 cents, being a Florida native and all. I was born in Tampa and have lived here 30 years, and I like it, although I guess I don’t really know any different.
Disney World is over-rated, unless you are a kid (or still a kid at heart). It’s just TOO well known these days to not be packed 99% of the time. If you still want to visit, I recommend completely avoiding the summer time (too hot to stand in line), and a month on either side of spring break (too packed). The best time to visit is really November-February, when most of the tourists aren’t around. In 2006 my sister and I went the day after Christmas and there were hardly any lines until late in the afternoon.
Speaking of Christmas, how many places can you spend Christmas on the beach, or have a BBQ for christmas dinner? That’s what we did this past year! (Those Ribs were SOOO tasty!)
Let’s also not forget that aside from Disney Hurled, you’ve got Busch Gardens and Adventure Island (water park) in Tampa, and Orlando also has Epcot (underrated if you have a brain), Sea World, Discovery Cove, Islands of Adventure…..Plenty of other theme parks to visit.
On the other hand, most people think of us as the land of sunshine even though it rains quite frequently here in the summer time.
I only wish their were mountains here, as I’d love to be able to hike more.
Not really sure if I was going anywhere with this, but wanted to add my 2c.
Thanks for the pointers.
Can’t say that I won’t visit Florida at some point - hey I have young kids, too.
Nice place to visit but … wouldn’t want to practice medicine there.
May 8, 2008 at 11:22 am
Forgot to recommend Discovery Cove. It’s the “dolphin experience” theme park that opened in the last few years.
The swimming with the dolphins part is a bit over-rated IMHO, but my wife is still grinning from when I took her back in March! She absolutely adored it. I had fun myself, as it’s essentially like being at a resort on the beach.
It’s pricey, but from the time you enter the park, the only thing you pay for is souvenirs and photographs. Snorkel gear, food, beer/wine, snacks, towels, wet-suits, etc were all included.
I highly recommend it if you know someone who would want to swim with dolphins. You can even pay less to skip the 30 minute dolphin encounter (which is what I did, I watched from shore). The snorkeling is great fun, with large rays, tropical fish, etc. The aviary was also really cool as you can feed the birds and they’ll land on your arms and such.
I would DEFINITELY return!
May 8, 2008 at 7:25 pm
WhiteCoat,
I don’t how you or any of your colleagues deal with all the red tape of being a licensed practitioner. When I was in college, career positions in medicine were considered glamorous. Doesn’t seem that way any more.
It isn’t. One of those things that I’m glad I can care for my family, but I’d beat my kids if they ever told me they wanted to go into medicine.
May 8, 2008 at 11:23 pm
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/2187/bugsfloridakz6.gif
OK, I forgot about that episode. Used to be able to recite the dialogue in almost every episode verbatim.
Thanks for the hearty belly laugh
May 9, 2008 at 3:39 am
My unexposed skin is fish belly white and I fry like those things in “I Am Legend.”
Love the visual.
May 10, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Pennsylvania has only been ridiculously aggressive in chasing out OB/GYN and surgeons, so far.
I have never been to Florida, but NASA would be one of the highlights for me. A Space Shuttle launch would be nice to watch. They have Space Camp there and a few other places in the country. Space Camp is a great way to spend some time with kids if this appeals to them. The downside is the dormitory living.
May 13, 2008 at 12:40 am
I live in Florida, and it’s a great place for a bad physician. There are all these old people with Medicare, a guaranteed income stream (of sorts, since Medicare is reducing costs back to…I think we’re at 1985 now?). So docs flock to Florida.
And they are not all good. And even more are not honest — either abusive billing or perpetrating outright fraud.
In my jobs, I’ve run into a lot of bad, dishonest “physicians.” The state has historically done a rotten job of protecting its citizens against these people, and I’d bet that’s why malpractice costs are so high.
OTOH, I’ve run into a lot of wonderful, caring physicians, as well. Florida needs to attract more of those doctors and run the other “doctors” out of the state on a rail. I’m just not sure how we manage to both aggressively police against fraud and abuse, and welcome the good guys in with open arms.