OB-Gyn numbers

"Oh, I would never want to do OB." I hear this frequently from my doctor colleagues. Funny, because I can't see myself doing anything else.

But there's trouble in River City. We are being hit left and right...malpractice insurance, hours, inability to recruit young blood to the profession, a noble calling and a genuinely joyful one. OB-Gyn is among the oldest of the medicinal specialties - you can read about early Egyptian ways of birth control!

But we're dying. When I joined this town, just a few years ago, I was the 7th one in town. We're now down to 5 - with the addition of the new doctor last month. The smaller, outlying towns are losing OBs at a rapid rate - the town 30 minutes north of us, lost 1 out of 2. The two towns 20 minutes to the east have lost 2 out of 4. The town 30 minutes south has lost 1 out of 4. The town 40 minutes northwest, 1 out of 2. All of these within the last 3-6 months! And many were for health reasons - the docs were getting old and having some serious issues.

That is the face of rural healthcare. I'm in the largest town...but we still have only about 35K. Most of the other towns are around 15K. Recruiting takes time...very few people want to come to a rural area (I'm an anomaly). I live an hour from the nearest Target/Sam's Club via the interstate. It's almost 2 hours to a decent mall.

I don't have a solution. But we need to acknowledge this.

Random Thoughts

1. Go read Scalpel's analysis of the healthcare crisis. As someone who is living the reality of it, it is a good read. I'm not sure if I agree with his conclusions, but it is a good, thoughtful read.

2. Is it really a vacation if you operate on 2 days and go to a mandatory class on the third?

3. What is a fiscally conservative, social liberal to do in the election? AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

4. The bathroom is completely done and it rocks. Purple, green, and gold - Mardi Gras colors (unintentional)

Purple

I am on vacation now. My bathroom is finally painted purple. :) DH said nothing about the color change. It looks good.

What a good guy. :)

I had forgotten how much I hated taping and cutting in. This is why it takes me about 8-9 months between room redecorations...amnesia needs to set in again. I need to forget the pain of taping and the physical soreness of the contortions needed to reach places. Thank god for the massage scheduled tomorrow.

Frustrations

Docs are full of them. Hell, so are parents. ;) And teachers.

I would be a rich woman if I had a penny for every patient who did the opposite of what was recommended. And you know who are the worst class of patients in this? THOSE IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION!!!!! Nurses and fellow doctors are the worst!

Diabetics who don't care for themselves. Smokers. People who have TOP (tired of pregnancy) and do literally anything to be unpregnant. Crack inductions of labor (works pretty damn well, as long as you like a lot of blood everywhere), outright lies to try to get the doctor to induce (my personal favorite is "I've been passing out for 10 minutes EVERY DAY!", said in a melodramatic fashion). Drug seekers.

I do not pretend to understand the mindset. I simply can't wrap my mind around it. And the only thing to do is to do what is the best and have them pissed off at you.

Such is life.