(Reuters Health) - Where a doctor went to medical school in the U.S. doesn't predict how well that doctor's patients will do, a new study suggests.Researchers who looked at outcomes of nearly one million hospitalizations managed by more than 30,000 physicians found no difference in patients' risks of death or hospital readmission according to where their doctor's medical school fell in the U.S. News & World Report medical school rankings, according to the report in The BMJ.U.S. News & World Report has published medical school rankings since 1983. The rankings take into account the school's reputation, research activity, and acceptance rate. Rankings also depend on peer scoring by school deans and residency directors, as well as student grade point average and admission test scores."There are ample anecdotes suggesting that both patients and physicians may use the ranking of the medical school a physician graduated from as a signal of provider quality," said lead study author … [Read more...] about Don’t pick doctors based on where they went to medical school
Residency for medical school
More than 200 Quebec doctors oppose proposed pay raise for themselves
By The Canadian Press Mon., Feb. 26, 2018 MONTREAL—At least 200 doctors and residents in Quebec are asking the provincial government to backtrack on plans to give them and other physicians substantial pay hikes. In an open letter, they say the increases are particularly shocking given that other health-care workers such as nurses and clerks face difficult working conditions. The letter, which was signed by general practitioners, specialists and residents, comes at a time when many nurses are complaining about excessive workloads. Isabelle Leblanc, president of the group behind the letter, said nurses, orderlies and other employees in the health-care system are working under awful conditions. “Basically, the amount of money that the health department has to run the system is finite,” she said in an interview Monday. Article Continued Below “There’s only a specific amount of money and not more, and the more you give to the physicians, … [Read more...] about More than 200 Quebec doctors oppose proposed pay raise for themselves
Increase number of residency spots for medical grads
It makes no sense to invest half a million dollars of taxpayers’ money to have a student graduate from medical school only to deny them access to a residency program — the last requirement they must fulfill before they can become a practising doctor. But that’s what happened to 114 Canadian medical graduates who were not successfully matched to a residency program in 2017. More alarming is the estimate in a report this week from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada that that number could climb to more than 330 in 2021, if no corrective action is taken. This is short-sighted and wrong-headed for several reasons. First, it’s a waste of taxpayer and students’ own investments in training (tuition, alone, for an Ontario graduate medical program runs around $25,000 annually, not to mention subsidies from governments). Second, there is the personal devastation to students who do not obtain a residency placement. Indeed, one graduate student, Robert … [Read more...] about Increase number of residency spots for medical grads
Tragic case of Robert Chu shows plight of Canadian medical school grads
After he was passed over twice for a medical residency program, after he quizzed university officials and career counsellors about the reasons for his rejection, after exploring his legal options and shortly before ending his life, Robert Chu wrote a letter.It was precise, but penned with passion. It showed the persistence the 25-year-old medical school graduate had demonstrated throughout his accomplished life.But he also expressed his despair at what he believed is a flawed system used to match medical school graduates to residency programs — the final, obligatory stage in a doctor’s training.Each year, a growing number of students do not get matched, putting the hundreds of thousands of dollars that provincial governments invest in educating and training future doctors at risk.But going unmatched is also a professional and personal crisis for some of this country’s brightest young minds. … [Read more...] about Tragic case of Robert Chu shows plight of Canadian medical school grads
Residency backlog could triple for medical school grads, report warns
MONTREAL—The number of Canadian medical school graduates unable to find a residency training program could triple in the coming years, jeopardizing the career paths of hundreds of future doctors, a new report warns.The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada is recommending that provincial health ministries boost funding to create additional residency spots. It says this is needed to prevent the growing backlog of graduates caught between the classroom and the operating room, unable to complete the last required step in their medical training. From 114 Canadian medical graduates who were not successfully matched to a residency program in 2017, the figure could climb to more than 330 in 2021 if no corrective action is taken, the association said in a report Tuesday.It is also urging an overhaul of the two-round system through which the annual residency spots are filled so that Canadian medical school graduates have less competition from spots from graduates coming from … [Read more...] about Residency backlog could triple for medical school grads, report warns