Hi Skeet, I would suggest that the free market answer is the one you suggest, to increase the supply of physicians. Although the AMA may keep the US supply low by limiting the number of medical schools, and the number accepted to medical schools, they can't keep out graduates of foreign medical schools. Also, there are the paraprofessionals, who do much of what physicians do.
I am not putting down US physicians. I spend a lot of time researching in medical school libraries, and I see how hard the students work, studying, and there is a lot to learn and the best ones never stop learning.
There is just something special and different about physicians, that most paraprofessionals can never match. It's not just education, it's drive, and the willingness to take charge, make the hard calls, the life-and-death calls, if you will. A good doctor truly believes, "the buck stops here." My sister can deliver babies, but she can't perform a c-section, and she doesn't want to. If it were me, I would want to be able to.
My secretary can draft a will, and draw up pleadings, but she doesn't want to go to court, and she likes being able to leave at 5:00 p.m., while I frequently pull all-nighters.
My point being that the willingness to accept the burdens and put in the hours thrives best in freedom.
CobaltBlue
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