Working For the Public Good - Young Doctors Establishing Themselves As a "Separate Breed"

Idealistic young people have always had a strongserious. The dean notes that the time and effort put in
interest in the medical profession. But recently theto attaining their objective by the medical students of
focus has shifted to those fields of study where thetoday is much greater than students previously. He is in
monetary rewards and other material benefits of asearch of a different lifestyle, different objectives and
medical career are passed over in favor of thedifferent values. He or she does not want to be
personal fulfillment one achieves by working for therestricted by social rigidity.
public good.The doctors of past generations were always worried
To give a shining example, the 28 year old doctor whoabout their social status. They were a part of an
refused the offer of $30,000 plus from medicalexclusively gregarious association, being more
schools, insurance and drug companies, and privateconcerned about wealth and a strictly prearranged
foundations. Instead he is paid $12,000 a year by thelifestyle that meant comfort, security and prosperity. It
organization he founded while he was still in medicalis difficult for those raised on the ideals of the earlier
school. This is just one example of the new breed ofgeneration of doctors to relate to the expectations
doctors who commit themselves to the improvementand ideas of today's students.
of the quality and delivery of medical care in America.Med students today are becoming more focused on
Their attitude towards medicine is changing the face ofcommunity medicine, where medical care can be given
traditional medical practices. His government fundedto all populations that need it, regardless of their ability
institute, founded four years ago, was designed toto pay. Leaders in the medical reformist movement
study the medical, dental, legal and educational needscite the failure of the medical care crisis to improve in
of individual communities. He has issued a statement,spite of the billions of dollars spent annually and support
saying that you can't just take the health caresmarter spending in an effort to stem the growing
industry's issues into consideration; people mustnumbers of individuals and families with little or no
consider the needs of entire communities. Studentsaccess to affordable health care. In actuality, it could
who wish to be pioneers are restricted by the limitedeven get worse if the changes are not enforced
number of opportunities within the medical system.quickly enough.
The nation's medical circumstances are in a bad place.There is an organization which has been founded with
Medical schools are starting to react but they requirethe purpose of encouraging medical students to work
encouragement. Under these circumstances, the help isin public health, preventive medicine and environmental
our medical students; practically all of America'shealth. This organization promotes community-oriented
medical schools have implemented new classes inmedical activities across the nation. The mission of this
community medicine as part of their program. As aorganization is to make community health projects a
result, nearly all of today's medical students are learningpart of all medical schools' curricula.
the full scope of the health care needs in the country -One student who has been the program director of
and want to do something to fix the problems.the organization stated that a high percentage of
A dean at a top medical program in the United Statesstudents who worked in various projects had indicated
stated that currently, students are really in tune witha desire to return to the area to practice medicine.
the social issues facing the nation. They show deepMedical specialties including community health, and
empathy for and are extremely caring about gainingmedical practice for minority groups by minority group
equal access to health care. One dean reports that hedoctors, are expected to increase.
has never seen so many, and they are almost too