Doctors .... the issue

[KARTer]

recently i consulted a pediatrician for my baby. $53 for 5 minute chat which he mentioned no need medication.

 

ok putting aside the costliness, the reasons he gave was also wrong. there is a growth on my boy's tongue which i told him affected my boy's appetite for milk.

 

he say no, that's not the reason. bcos it is not red in color, it doesn't bother him and his decrease appetite had to do with him growing older. i wasn't convinced but gave him benefit of the doubt. but even events after supports my view and debunks his. as the growth on his tongue subside, his appetite for milk return and in fact became more voracious, at the same time as he grows older.

 

there is a lot of high charges in the professional industry for work or advice that are not even correct.

With due respect, lots of consultants in other fields are also giving either textbook 'advice' or something close to nonsense but charge their clients expensively.

Edited June 3, 2011 by KARTer

[Blowndiffuser]

There will always be irresponsible doctors making careless diagnoses, and with poor manners. Having said that, the majority are basically people who are working really hard and often willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of their patients.

 

Medicine isn't like engineering. No disease manifests in the same way all the time, and so even if there were a diagnostic criteria for everything, it would not be 100% accurate all the time. Plus, there will always be human error. That's why the practice of medicine inevitably has a much higher error rate than say computer engineering. Not that there isn't anything that can be done to improve the practice of medicine at present, but there will always be such limitations. Yes, the stakes are high - people's health and lives are at stake, but we are already very fortunate to be able to have the means to diagnose and treat so many diseases in this day and age.

 

Lastly, not every death in the hospital is a coroner's case. Often, it depends on what the cause of death is stated as. For example, it if were death due to trauma or burns, an investigation would be necessary to rule out foul play. In this case, however, I doubt that it was a coroner's case.

[Throttle2]

ahhh, blah,,blahh,,,ooooh,, aaarhh,....

 

aiyah, i better not comment on this thread.

[Tonyng]

There will always be irresponsible doctors making careless diagnoses, and with poor manners. Having said that, the majority are basically people who are working really hard and often willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of their patients.

 

Medicine isn't like engineering. No disease manifests in the same way all the time, and so even if there were a diagnostic criteria for everything, it would not be 100% accurate all the time. Plus, there will always be human error. That's why the practice of medicine inevitably has a much higher error rate than say computer engineering. Not that there isn't anything that can be done to improve the practice of medicine at present, but there will always be such limitations. Yes, the stakes are high - people's health and lives are at stake, but we are already very fortunate to be able to have the means to diagnose and treat so many diseases in this day and age.

 

Lastly, not every death in the hospital is a coroner's case. Often, it depends on what the cause of death is stated as. For example, it if were death due to trauma or burns, an investigation would be necessary to rule out foul play. In this case, however, I doubt that it was a coroner's case.

 

When does stating the obvious defend a case? Your type of thinking is reflective of healthcare people when it is NOT their loved ones involved. I hope you are not from the industry.

 

[KARTer]

When does stating the obvious defend a case? Your type of thinking is reflective of healthcare people when it is NOT their loved ones involved. I hope you are not from the industry.

Those who are in may just sneer............

[Acemundo]

With due respect, lots of consultants in other fields are also giving either textbook 'advice' or something close to nonsense but charge their clients expensively.

 

i know. haha, thats why i always don't take consultants words as gospel.

 

and for those that are pay high, it will attract more criticism when their advice is wrong

[Baal]

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/04/21/half-of-foreign-doctors-in-uk-are-flops/

 

 

Half of foreign doctors in UK are flops

April 21st, 2014 | Author: Editorial

Last Friday (18 Apr), British newspaper The

 

 

Telegraph reported that half of the foreign doctors in the United Kingdom would not be able to practise in Britain if they were subjected to the same level of scrutiny as British doctors (‘Half of foreign doctors are below British standards‘).

 

This is according to a study by the University College London (UCL), which was commissioned by the British General Medical Council (GMC) – the equivalent of the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) in Singapore.

 

It found that half of all foreign doctors in UK do not have the necessary skills to work there. However, they were allowed to practise there because the competency exam is too easy.

 

According to the study, the majority of the 88,000 foreign doctors in UK would fail the university exams if they were held to the same standard as their British colleagues. The language ability of some of these foreign doctors has also been questioned.

 

Around 1,300 foreign doctors are licensed each year by GMC after passing a competency exam which assesses clinical and language skills. But the study found that about half would fail to reach the standards expected of British doctors. The study has called for the pass rate of the competency exam to be raised from 63 to 76% to “ensure patient safety”.

 

A UCL spokesperson said:

 

 

There is no real mechanism for checking that doctors coming from outside Britain have been trained to the same level as British doctors. We wanted to find out what level overseas doctors would have to reach if they were to be as competent as British graduates. I think it’s inevitable that the bar will need to be set higher.

 

The fact that you already have overseas doctors being over-represented at GMC hearings is indicative of the problem. Many are simply not trained to the same standards.

 

 

More than 88,000 foreign doctors are registered in UK. They make up almost a third of all UK doctors but account for approximately two thirds of those struck off each year.

 

Figures from 2012 show that of 669 doctors who were struck off or suspended in the previous 5 years, 420 were foreign doctors. The top 3 countries with the largest number of doctors removed or suspended are:

 

1. India
2. Nigeria
3. Egypt

 

Doctors from India ranked at the top of the scrapheap.

 

In 2011, GMC set up a working party to review whether the competency exam needed to be updated and asked UCL to research this question. The working party is due to report later this year but UCL’s findings have been made public after they were used to defend an allegation that GMC was racist in marking the exams of foreign doctors.

 

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin launched a judicial review claiming GMC failed too many doctors from overseas in GP tests. But a High Court judge ruled against them this month after seeing UCL’s report.

 

UCL said, “We’ve been through the figures with a fine-toothed comb and there is simply nothing to show that examiners are being racist.”

 

“We are determined to do what we can to maintain high standards of medical practice in the UK, regardless of where doctors receive their training,” the head of GMC said. “That is why we are reviewing the way in which we assess the knowledge and skills of those seeking to practise here …

 

This review, along with our decision to increase the score we require in our assessment of English language skills, will help us ensure that high standards of practice are maintained.”

 

[Mockngbrd]

[Evillusion]

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/04/21/half-of-foreign-doctors-in-uk-are-flops/

 

Half of foreign doctors in UK are flops

 

April 21st, 2014 | Author: Editorial

 

 

Last Friday (18 Apr), British newspaper The

 

 

Telegraph reported that half of the foreign doctors in the United Kingdom would not be able to practise in Britain if they were subjected to the same level of scrutiny as British doctors (Half of foreign doctors are below British standards).

 

This is according to a study by the University College London (UCL), which was commissioned by the British General Medical Council (GMC) the equivalent of the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) in Singapore.

 

It found that half of all foreign doctors in UK do not have the necessary skills to work there. However, they were allowed to practise there because the competency exam is too easy.

 

According to the study, the majority of the 88,000 foreign doctors in UK would fail the university exams if they were held to the same standard as their British colleagues. The language ability of some of these foreign doctors has also been questioned.

 

Around 1,300 foreign doctors are licensed each year by GMC after passing a competency exam which assesses clinical and language skills. But the study found that about half would fail to reach the standards expected of British doctors. The study has called for the pass rate of the competency exam to be raised from 63 to 76% to ensure patient safety.

 

A UCL spokesperson said:

 

 

There is no real mechanism for checking that doctors coming from outside Britain have been trained to the same level as British doctors. We wanted to find out what level overseas doctors would have to reach if they were to be as competent as British graduates. I think its inevitable that the bar will need to be set higher.

 

The fact that you already have overseas doctors being over-represented at GMC hearings is indicative of the problem. Many are simply not trained to the same standards.

 

More than 88,000 foreign doctors are registered in UK. They make up almost a third of all UK doctors but account for approximately two thirds of those struck off each year.

 

Figures from 2012 show that of 669 doctors who were struck off or suspended in the previous 5 years, 420 were foreign doctors. The top 3 countries with the largest number of doctors removed or suspended are:

• India
• Nigeria
• Egypt

Doctors from India ranked at the top of the scrapheap.

 

In 2011, GMC set up a working party to review whether the competency exam needed to be updated and asked UCL to research this question. The working party is due to report later this year but UCLs findings have been made public after they were used to defend an allegation that GMC was racist in marking the exams of foreign doctors.

 

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin launched a judicial review claiming GMC failed too many doctors from overseas in GP tests. But a High Court judge ruled against them this month after seeing UCLs report.

 

UCL said, Weve been through the figures with a fine-toothed comb and there is simply nothing to show that examiners are being racist.

 

We are determined to do what we can to maintain high standards of medical practice in the UK, regardless of where doctors receive their training, the head of GMC said. That is why we are reviewing the way in which we assess the knowledge and skills of those seeking to practise here

 

This review, along with our decision to increase the score we require in our assessment of English language skills, will help us ensure that high standards of practice are maintained.

i have been attended by doctors from China, India and only recently my auntie was attended by ne from Myanmar....nb....SG lang got flying colours for A levels also neber get to smell Medicine...failed onn3rd interview but take doctors from 3rd world country can...nnbpcb!

[Kangadrool]

CHEAP mah!

 

According to them, to produce one med graduate requires $X.

 

By just importing, ............

 

This was debated to death already and their answer is still back to (i) $$$ (ii) produce too many doctors will result in over-medicating/servicing (iii) escalate medical costs.

 

This was the foresight.

 

i have been attended by doctors from China, India and only recently my auntie was attended by ne from Myanmar....nb....SG lang got flying colours for A levels also neber get to smell Medicine...failed onn3rd interview but take doctors from 3rd world country can...nnbpcb!

 

[Evillusion]

CHEAP mah!

 

According to them, to produce one med graduate requires $X.

 

By just importing, ............

 

This was debated to death already and their answer is still back to (i) $$$ (ii) produce too many doctors will result in over-medicating/servicing (iii) escalate medical costs.

 

This was the foresight.

 

 

it happened to my friend's son. The fella even contemplated studying in MY, but sad to say he took a course offered to him in NUS (Sciences) and now is a teacher in a secondary school. How sad and how simple to dash a young man's dream......i dont think the gov would have spent as much as paying the minister's salary per month in training the young man to be a doctor. And now they recruit doctors from 3rd world....our leaders foresight is really shortsighted nowadays! Edited April 22, 2014 by Eviilusion

[Karoon]

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/04/21/half-of-foreign-doctors-in-uk-are-flops/

 

 

Half of foreign doctors in UK are flops

April 21st, 2014 | Author: Editorial

 

Telegraph reported that half of the foreign doctors in the United Kingdom would not be able to practise in Britain if they were subjected to the same level of scrutiny as British doctors (‘Half of foreign doctors are below British standards‘).

 

i believe our smc is sharper in weeding out the bad ones from the good among imported docs.

i am personally indebted to one young indian FT doc.

Saw him work his socks off through the night saving a kids life in ICU.... my own.

[Evillusion]

 

i believe our smc is sharper in weeding out the bad ones from the good among imported docs.

i am personally indebted to one young indian FT doc.

Saw him work his socks off through the night saving a kids life in ICU.... my own.

that must be harrowing for you.....but if its a local trained doctor....do you think he will try lesser to save a human life....a child at that!

[Baal]

that must be harrowing for you.....but if its a local trained doctor....do you think he will try lesser to save a human life....a child at that!

 

I definitely do not doubt that. What I hope for is that the quality of the medical services provided are not compromised like what has happened to the IT industry. And Doctors being in 1 of the top 6 professions.....is surely not a job that locals do not want to do.

 

i believe our smc is sharper in weeding out the bad ones from the good among imported docs.

i am personally indebted to one young indian FT doc.

Saw him work his socks off through the night saving a kids life in ICU.... my own.

 

Glad to hear that your child is well.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Baal

[Thaiyotakamli]

I doubt the ability of foreign doctors. Once my mother was admitted to NUH emergency, doctor seems to be in his late 20s and from manila, want change hospital also lazy cos queue very long

[Vid]

it happened to my friend's son. The fella even contemplated studying in MY, but sad to say he took a course offered to him in NUS (Sciences) and now is a teacher in a secondary school. How sad and how simple to dash a young man's dream......i dont think the gov would have spent as much as paying the minister's salary per month in training the young man to be a doctor. And now they recruit doctors from 3rd world....our leaders foresight is really shortsighted nowadays!

 

Well... they rather lose the money in Temasek Holdings then to give people a better future.

[Evillusion]

 

I definitely do not doubt that. What I hope for is that the quality of the medical services provided are not compromised like what has happened to the IT industry. And Doctors being in 1 of the top 6 professions.....is surely not a job that locals do not want to do.

 

 

Glad to hear that your child is well.

i too am glad that his child is ok....

My recent encounter with the ft doctors was not bad except for one. One had a funny way of saying coke when he was advising me on what to drink to reduce my nauseas after taking panadol for diaorrhea. Another was professional....but one really raised my blood after i was warded. Kns...just brushed of my symptoms and released me without further checkup. I was warded again after a gp suspected i had heart attack due to my high unusual diastolic....did so many (threadmill,blood and so on) test in TTSH and finally found the cause of my problems. Was given medicine and went on a strict diet. The thing was evenbthe doctors at TTSH was surprised the other doctor in another hospital had brushed off my symptoms so easily without doing any test!

[Karoon]

that must be harrowing for you.....but if its a local trained doctor....do you think he will try lesser to save a human life....a child at that!

They would try just as hard, I would like to believe.

Anyway, my point is, the FT doctors had better be as good or better than our local-trained ones, otherwise what's the point?

So far I think smc has been doing a good filtering job.