Blog 6. An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?--Facing the Facts: Any 'Weak Links'?

An Original Photographic of "Poseidon On the Atlantic", copyright mkrause, 2004, 2011on mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.

Poseidon,
god of the Sea,
"Earth-Shaker",
rider of the Horse-drawn chariot
across the Sea.





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Facing the Facts (Continued)
5. Be realistic. Are there any "weak links" among friends or family who could not support your climb to professional success?

Medicine definitely has changed since the 1980's. Then a medical student or young doctor could lose everything because of an alcohol or drug problem. Some still do. But the ethnic and racial affirmative action programs brought with them a demand to accept and promote not only those of non-standard credentials, but also alcoholics and serious (cocaine, heroine) drug users.

However, for many, particulary mainstream, white, Christian, US citizens, the old rules still prevail. A major mis-step into alcohol and drugs will bring state medical board action to suspend or revoke a medical license, with or without options to return to practice.

What is also true is the good words of friends and family are essential to maintain or promote a career in medicine. Bad words, even if unrelated to the profession, may significantly harm or sabotage a career.

Friends or family often encourage someone to "go back to school", "get a better job with a higher income". But what if that encouragement changes?

A perceived change in the professional student's status can re-kindle an old "sibling rivalry" or start a new jealousy or resentment in friends or family. This could occur as the busy, overworked, over-expensed student, who previously needed very little or nothing, now may need to ask for help with money instead of gifts at the holidays, short-term or long-term loans, rides to the car repair shop, or other favors.

Aging family members may forget positive details important to the student or young professional's success, call the wrong people, or too freely talk to bill collectors who begin to investigate the student with early finanical aid evaluations or applications. Friends may give the student's name to strangers who are bill collectors and investigators, inadvertently or otherwise. "Loose lips sink ships" certainly applies to the new professional "setting sail on his or her own ship".

Despite financial aid clauses and rules to the contrary, bill collecting on students or even applicants begins early as school or contract office workers sell information or applicant and student files. Former President George W. Bush's policy opening eavesdropping and investigation probably will be shown to have disproportionately harmed more innocent students and applicants than members of any domestic or international terrorist organization.

Bill collectors are "by nature" an aggressive group. In our weak economy, the old rules against "racketeering influenced crime organizations" (RICO laws) and "extortionate extension of credit" by what are now termed "third party bill collectors" have been suspended to benefit "loan sharks" without a loan to shark. This is because political cronies are involved in such activities, run through "quasi-governmental" bill collection agencies named after or formed from former or other government agencies.

That aging parent, jealous or "put upon" relative, or resentful friend, if listed on the application or "found" by invasive investigators, may too be bill collected and soon become the applicant/student's worst enemy. This, at a time when that applicant/student most needs as many good friends as possible.

{Read more on the topics raised in "An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School" on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (on http://monthlynotes
.blogspot.com)on www.google.com.}

Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request a copy of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on the topic "An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?" on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com through monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com.) on www.google.com.

Graphic: An Original Photographic of "Poseidon On the Atlantic" copyright, mkrause 2004, 2011, on mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.

Reference: www.wikipedia.com

Blog 5. An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?--Facing the Facts: Centers for Identity Theft.

An Original Photographic of "Poseidon On the Atlantic" by mkrause, copyright, 2004, 2011 at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.
Poseidon was a major Greek god of several cities. In Athens Poseidon was considered second only to Athena. In most Greek cities, Zeus god of the sky was considered the most important god.
Poseidon often is seen positively, creating new islands and offering calm seas. But, when offended, Poseidon the "Earth-shaker" would strike the ground with his Trident causing chaotic springs, earthquakes, drownings, and shipwrecks. Poseidon is thought to have created the salty ocean seas when striking his Trident into the ground.
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Facing the Facts (Continued):
4. Be aware that medical schools and medical centers are high-risk areas for identity theft.

Lots of people are attracted by the prestige of being called "Doctor" and the perceived respect, power, and of course money, particularly through insurance reimbursements. Many of these are not willing to finish high school, graduate from a 4-year college or university, or undergo the time and expense of applying to, then studying and working to graduate from a school of medicine.

Identity theft and impostering seem to have become mcre common in the very difficult US economy. At the end of the day, the amount of medical and other insurance monies stolen by imposters in "computerized medical insurance billing" schemes undoubtedly will be astronomical, beyond the millions into the billions.

The harms done to the real doctor are manifold: personal and professional reputation, bill collecting, tax collecting, the doctor in the worst cases is blocked from his or her own career as medical insurance money is diverted from the real doctor and funnelled to imposters and insurance industry insiders.

Currently, there is a curious confluence of 4 major factors diminishing the medical profession. (1) Affirmative action often is misunderstood as equal to take another's salary, despite no achievement of equal education and credentials.

(2) Immigration patterns have changed with increased demands by ethnic and racial groups to be included without achieving standard credentials. Newcomers want the bigger jobs and salaries now, not 3 or more generations later as often is the pattern with North Atlantic and European immigrant families from the 1850s.

(3) As de-regulation has progressed and money has become the most important factor, the average patient cannot be sure their doctor or other health care provider is who he or she says he or she is.

(4) Paradoxically, with de-regulation financial and increasing political/governmental pressures have diminished the role of physician-led state medical boards in regulating their own profession. The bankruptcy of the Nationwide insurance companies which provided private, the partially government-related Medicare A and B programs, and government-subsidized Medicaid ("welfare"} medical insurance allowed federal bankruptcy judges and others to step in to control and divert the flow of money through medical practice.

Not knowing many lawyers felt that doctors were a "natural enemy", many doctors were surprised by the animosity of the attorney attack on medicine and medical money. This was a victory of lawyers over doctors: taking control of hospitals/medical centers, medical practice, including hiring and medical insurance reimbursement money. This of course occurred during the Clinton administrations, when trial lawyers triumphed over business, usng the courts to take corporations, including "sole proprietorships" and "partnerships" traditional in medical practice.

"Alternative" health care programs as well as "look-alike" traditional schools now require serious scrutiny by student applicants. This also is true for patients (now often known as clients or customers) and other health care providers, who refer customers for additional or supplemental products and services.

These patterns merge into a "profitable egalitarianism" without a basis in a meritocracy of fact, reasoning, and verifiable achievement. (In the common parlance: if almost no one in practice is a real degree-holder, and if it is all about the money anyway, then it is.)

These patterns have sprung from the Maoist cultural revolution ideology common to socialist/communist ethnic and racial movements. This ideology has risen markedly within the US Democratic Party, as the US government has become more of an "advocacy" consortium of "public/private partnerships" instead of more traditional and impartial agencies.

Under Mao, the educated, whom Mao found to be too critical of his policies, were sent to work in the rice paddies and farms in the countryside. The educated would replace the uneducated peasants who would replace the educated in Mao's government. What peasant would criticize or complain after a very big promotion from rice paddy to government work?

Ethnic and racial Maoists trying to take-over US medicine believe they have been denied the "money" in the health care budget. What such organizers do not seem to understand is that the government asked taxpayers to subsidize direct medical care to the poor, provided by paying modest wages and salaries to educated, credentialed health care providers. Taxpayers have not agreed to pay out cash to people who seek it in a health care building or medical center, as patient or provider.

Most taxpayers would not agree to pay a 3-6-month training program "medical assistant" (weight and temperature office worker) the doctor's or even nurse's wage or salary. What starts as a move by ancillary workers or technicians or others to take salaries from the educated soon devalues the entire industry. No one wants to pay for the services or the insurance which helps subsidize the health care industry.

(Read future blogs on "An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?" on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (currently accessed on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com) on www.google.com.)

Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com.

Graphic: An Original Photographic of "Poseidon On the Atlantic" by mkrause, copyright 2004, 2011 at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.

Reference: www.wikipedia.com

Blog 4. An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?--Facing the Facts: Loss & Expense

An Original Photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic", copyright, 2004 and 2011, mkrause at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.
Poseidon lives in a palace made of coral and gems at the bottom of the sea. This may be Atlantis, the fabled kingdom of truth and beauty.







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Facing the Facts:
3. Be realistic. Don't be disoriented by the "Sirens" of the American Dream of Success.

If you are living "marginally" financially, don't be pulled into the American Nightmare in a run at success you really cannot afford. Living "marginally" may be OK: a nice, but modest apartment, a new or newer car. But it won't allow you to keep up with expenses you are likely to encounter.

Think about what would happen to your finances if your financial aid package did not arrive on time or even until the next semester. Even if you have a part-time job and can cover rent and food, you could be forced to try to borrow money from family or friends, which might forever jeopardize that relationship, even if you can repay the money within days or weeks or months.

What would happen if your car was side-swiped outside the library or stolen from the parking lot behind your apartment? Think about it. It can and does happen. Areas near universities and medical centers are very "high-risk" areas for vehicle and other crime.

Consider the "experiment of life" conducted on a monthlynotesstaff source. It sounds unbelievable but it is true. This serious, motivated medical student was being pulled down financially in a rip-tide of crime.

By the time you recognize the crime wave for what it is, almost everything may be gone. This financial nightmare involved a phenomenal series of expensive events.

First, during the early investigation into medical school application process, the beloved sportscar was side-swiped.
Cost: about $6,600 in early 1980s US dollars.

Second, Mother helped finance a new sporty car. This new car, a reliable model from a reputable manufacturer, probably was serially mechanically vandalized--before it too was side-swiped outside the school library.
Cost: about $14,000 mid-1980s US dollars. Tally: $20,600.

Third, Mother helps again by giving her somewhat older, low mileage Pontiac to the student. Within one week, the Pontiac is stolen from the chain-link fenced parking lot behind the student's apartment.
Cost: about $400 ($223 to repair the steering column "hot wire" damage plus miscellaneous impound and taxi expenses) Tally: $21,000.

Fourth, higher than usual frequency of auto repairs, about every 8 weeks. A free tow to repeat repair visits made it possible to continue to repair the Pontiac.
Cost: about $1,000. Tally: $22,000.

Fifth, finally first entry level job makes new car purchase possible. However, weird accident caused by a local problem driver known to police occurs with damage to NEW car and later unexpected repairs.
Cost: about $3,000 for insurance deductible, rental car, taxi, and later repairs. Tally: $25,000.

Sixth, a series of problems including a small slash on beautiful new convertible roof, a series of locking gasoline caps literally pulled off vehicle, stolen front license plate, a series of "flat tires" in hospital parking lots requiring first experiences with "tire insurance", a late night tow, mechanic to large apartment garage, and unexpected mechanical repairs.
Cost: about $6,500 plus uncompensated time, energy, and frustration. Tally: $31,500.

Seventh, first wallet ever stolen, while studying in the laboratory after a trip to the ATM.
Cost: about $40.00 stolen from wallet and knowledge that someone had been flipping through the wallet (and IDs, credit cards, etc.) and that wallet had been dropped off at Campus Security.
Tally: $31,540.

Eighth, a "lost" $50,000 life insurance policy, taken from apartment and mailbox.
Cost: $50,000 plus premium payments. Tally: $81,540.

Ninth, purchase of private apartment security devices due to apparent break-ins (closets or storage boxes ransacked, closed room doors opened, TV or pantry foods moved while at school or working long shifts), and of course, car alarms.
Cost: about $1,000. Tally: $82,540.

Tenth, travel, including moving trucks, for job interviews and "audition"-type short-term jobs for possible long-term contracts, are incredibly expensive. Meanwhile, camera equipment and other items were stolen.
Cost: $1,000 in stolen camera equipment plus loss of naivete after dealing with "head-hunting" employment agencies. Tally: $82,540, excluding travel expenses.

Eleventh, later a stolen late model car after dealing with "professional" employment
agencies and being tracked by school and hospital financial groups ("gangs").
Cost: $25,000.
Tally: $107,540.

$107,540!--Crime-related losses to one nice, polite individual, excluding vehicle and apartment deposits, fees, moving, storage, damaged personal and professional items, travel and other expenses.

Keep in mind none of these losses were reimbursed or compensated for by "good", expensive, and sometimes multiple insurance policies.

An occasional item was taken and returned, for example, a $300 stack of books and equipment taken from a university laboratory, was later returned.

There are also the bizarre offers of "deals". A student asked our source to say about $1,200 laboratory equipment had been stolen, file an insurance claim, get a second set, and give it to or sell it to the "deal maker" for a nominal amount.

This monthlynotesstaff source believes there are business groups so aggressive they are better termed "gangs", involving contacts from school and related school lists, hospitals/medical centers and their contractors, private and government-related credentialing agencies, employment agencies, and business and sales list buyers/sellers. These gangs stalk, menace, and harass young professionals and cause the loss of or steal the equivalent or in excess of income stated for credit card and other financial applications or statements.

The loss of time, energy, money and the psychological and emotional toll on the young professional can be overwhelming, a saga of crime and expense.

(Read more on future blogs on An Answer to the Question: "Is There Life After Medical School?" on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com).

Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (currently accessed through http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com) on www.google.com.

Graphic: An Original Photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic", copyright, mkrause, 2004 and 2011, at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.

Reference: www.wikipedia.com.

Blog 3. An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?--Facing the Facts: The Degree is Only the 1st Step.

An Original Photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic", copyright, mkrause, 2004, 2011, at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.
Poseidon is god of the Sea. Poseidon, Zeus, god of the Sky, and Hades, god of the Underworld, together rule the Earth and Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods. What if they sometimes live among us?





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Facing the Facts (Continued):

2. Getting the degree is only the first step in building a career in the professions.

If you have to spend your inheritance or savings or borrow heavily for school, it may not be possible to borrow more to open your office or start your business. There are not enough hourly or salary jobs to go around for highly educated professionals.

Public/Private partnership or quasi-governmental tuition sales projections to the contrary, there are a lot more degrees than there are available jobs. Large numbers of new immigrants create even more pressure and increase the glut of applicants for many job categories. Affirmative action on an ethnic or racial basis has often obscured the question of who is actually qualified for the job, a highly degreed but frequently credit reported applicant or an individual who becomes a tax deduction as a new hire.

The trend toward de-regulation and non-meritocracy job criteria in hiring makes the actually more qualified candidate less attractive financially to the company. An example of this are many "third-world" projects. Recently a Bill & Melissa Gates foundation funding call for proposals had the goal of making job tasks like malaria prevention and treatment suitable to be performed by the non-degreed, rather than be considered jobs for the glut of unemployed or underemployed medical and environmental scientists. But this trend toward profitable egalitarianism is much larger than only the incredibly successful Harvard drop-out Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.

(Read more on An Answer to the Question: "Is There Life After Medical School?" on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com on www.google.com.)

Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request a copy of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (currently accessed through http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com) on www.google.com.

Graphic: An Original Photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic", copyright mkrause 2004, 2011, at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com on www.google.com.

Reference: www.wikipedia.com.

Blog 2. An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?--Facing the Facts: Sales of Student Financing

Poseidon was saved from being eaten by his parents Kronos and Rhea by another Greek god, Zeus. After Kronos' defeat, the world was divided into 3 zones. Zeus became god of the Sky, Hades became god of the Underworld, and Poseidon became god of the Sea.

The photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic" was made by mkrause during a sea storm off the Atlantic Ocean. The winds whirling around Poseidon suggest the returning image of the sea monster Poseidon once sent to destroy Troy, after not receiving the reward promised Poseidon and Apollo to build walls around the city.
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Facing the Facts:

1. U.S. presidential administrations since at least Clinton have focused on sales of student loan/grant/scholarship financing packages for those en route to The American Dream of Success. The reality is higher education, especially the higher-priced tuition packages to the professions (medicine, law) and other higher level degree programs,(PhD, CPA, MA, MS, even BA, BS) may not be for everyone. Maybe lawyers feel differently: holders of other degrees become their projected sources of income.

The "American Dream" of financial success in an interesting, important career job, after completing one of these degree programs, may turn into an American Nightmare of financial devastation made worse by daily bill collection tactics including stalking, menacing, and harassment. The degree without long-term, full-time, "gainful" employment in the high-paying ranks of a profession is an albatross hung around one's neck, not a bird in flight.

A monthlynotes source, an honors and award gradute of a relatively highly ranked School of Medicine, has been haunted by a whispered "Medical School is for the rich". The source thought the whisperer might not have been aware of the numerous grants, scholarships, "low interest" deferment/forgiveness and other government-sponsored loss/default insurance-guaranteed tuition packages. So that source continued on, undaunted, determined to succeed.

Despite the "opportunity for all" rhetoric, expensive activities are better left to the rich who can afford them. The psychological pain and physical discomfort of the financially stranded average student or even honors/award student cannot be underestimated. It is horrible to be punished for good efforts, long hours, and hard work to succeed.


(Read more on subsequent blogs on An Answer to the Question: "Is There Life After Medical School?" on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com.)

email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (currently accessed through http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com) on www.google.com.

Graphic: An Original Photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic", Atlantic City, New Jersey, 2004, copyright mkrause, and with text, 2011, mkrause at mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.

References: www.wikipedia.com

Blog 1. An Answer to the Question: Is There Life After Medical School?--American Dream or American Nightmare?

An Original Photographic, "Poseidon on the Atlantic", Atlantic City, New Jersey, 2004. Copyrght, mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com.

Poseidon, Ancient Greek god of the Sea, holding Trident, stands guard over the Atlantic City Basin of the Bay off the Atlantic Ocean. Like Dionysius, an ancient god of "hearty partiers", Poseidon caused certain forms of mental disturbances, by inflaming the "maeneds". Hipporates' 400BCE text "On Sacred Diseases", blames Poseidon for certain types of epilepsy.
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There is a Midwestern city made famous by Randy Newman's hit song "Burn On, Big River, Burn On". The song describes the seemingly impossible combination of opposites, fire on water.

There really was a fire on the surface of the Cuyahoga River. The fire ignited in an industrial chemical "slick" floating on the river. Despite the obvious availability of water beneath, the chemical fire was difficult to control and extinguish.

In that city, there was a mainstream, traditional, M.D. (allopathic) School of Medicine ranked number 18 of 125 MD schools of medicine in the United States by Barron's in 1984-1985. The School was well-known for developing innovative curriculums in clinical medicine, education and practice. The School of Medicine "University-affiliated" hospital system had a reputation for excellent patient care while hosting strong medical research laboratory groups.

In an edition of an alumni publication a number of years ago, there was a short article written by Jack Medalie with a seemingly paradoxical title: "Is there life after medical school?" Years later, the paradox is more understandable.

Fortunately, there is life after medical school for most graduates. But it may not resemble the naively anticipated or hoped for career and lifestyle. The approximately 125 M.D. Schools of Medicine require completion of high school and a 4-year college (BA or BS) to apply to these professional schools. The offer of acceptance presents a gruelling further 4 years of study with long sleepless hours of unpaid hospital work. After graduation, medical practice evolves into unpaid "second 40 hour work weeks" during entry level jobs requiring study, attending lectures, and a commitment to "lifelong learning" to stay current in the art and science of medicine.

However, the future of the young medical professional may remain uncertain. Career evolution may not even involve medical practice, a totally unexpected result for the average or even above average student and young professional. Honors and awards may become merely a personal record of achievement, not the anticipated ticket to a lifetime paid career in academic medicine or private pactice.

Life after medical school may not even resemble life before medical school. The level of physical and psychological comfort, material success, if only a new car and a nice but modest apartment, may be difficult to regain.

Why? Because an overwhelming number of financial obstacles arise. Even students with honors and awards may be confronted with an enormous number of negative credit reports and hyper-aggressive bill collecting, largely due to failure of banks, financal companies, "public/private partnerships" or quasi-governmental "spin-off" bill collection agencies to honor the deferrment/forgiveness clauses used by financial aid office workers to convince the prospective student to sign. There are other financial issues including pressure to donate to an ever increasing number of "groups with causes", national and international.

What the naive, intelligent, hard-working medical student may not undertand is that
his or her name begins to appear on school and hospital expense and other business lists. Medical students apparently generally are presumed to be wealthy people who will fund the entire economy.

Tax and bill collectors, including paralegals and even lawyers, conjoin with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) which audit health care professinals more frequently than the average taxpayer. This occurs during the student years and as young professionals or "sole proprietors" entering private practice or the work force. As one IRS agent described it, an increase in income, after completing school, prompts the "computer to kick the name out" for audit and investigation. And despite the "Taxpayers Bill of Rights" limiting the number and amounts triggering audits and investigations, this may occur monthly, quarterly, and yearly for decades.

As the "bill collecting/financial services" sector of our retail/service economy increases, so do the number of bills, audits, and investigations of students and young professonals sent to these financially vulnerable individuals.

This creates almost unsurmountable financial pressures as the graduate begins his/her rapel to success. Why? Students and young professonals are seen as a "third party" source of unlimited money to finance the burgeoning retail and financial sectors, includng philanthropic and political organizations, of our increasingly de-industrialized economy.

A struggling medical student also may be targeted for threats and vandalism in medical centers, parking lots, and neighborhoods. Reports of vehicle damage and losses required for insurance coverage may trigger additional investigations. Working and parking in a hospital or university area becomes a "high-risk" factor for insurance agents, who continue to follow individuals who continue to drive to and work in these areas.

(Read more on subsequent blogs on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com An Answer to the Question: "Is There Life After Medical School?")

Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotesfourteen.blogspot.com (currently accessed through http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com on www.google.com).

Graphic: An Original Photographic of "Poseidon on the Atlantic", 2004, copyright, mkrause, with text, 2011, mkrause54@yahoo.co or mkrause381@gmail.com.

References: www.wikipedia.com