ChesterCountyMedicineWinter2018 - 7

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Message
from patient care; 81% of Medicare providers felt that it is difficult
for them to get paid.
A more recent survey of 17,000 physicians
by Staff Care showed:
14.4% making plans to retire
21.4% planning to cut back hours
8.8% planning to switch to concierge practice
11.5% switching to locum tenens job
13.5% planning non-clinical employment
9.8% considering part-time employment
Only 52.2% plan to continue just as they are today
An exhaustive study of recent data showed that as of 2020,
there will be a shortage of 150,000 physicians in this country.
Even now, there is a shortage of 4,500 cardiologists in the US.
The applications for medical schools are increasing. The medical
schools are also increasing enrollment and four new medical
schools have opened within the last several years (one in PA).
So we perform a very important function. We are needed
to save people's lives and maintain their health. We are in short
supply. Then why are we not able to dictate the terms of our
profession?
I think this is where we need to open the first chapter in the
Book of Wisdom, and I believe strongly that the fault completely
lies with the physicians. We work well as individuals but we
cannot present our common goals in a precise and succinct
manner.
I looked at another profession, the Law, which is very successful
in managing its destiny despite being looked upon by some as a
profession of greed and dishonesty, although I personally feel most
lawyers are honorable people especially in Chester County, but I
realized that what separates lawyers from physicians is that they
work together to further their causes.

I asked my son, a law school student, how many different
law associations is he part of. Remember, he is only a student
of the law and not a lawyer, and he listed the following: The
Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Bar Association, Asian
Pacific American Bar Association of Philadelphia, Asian Pacific
Bar Association (National), and PAK American Bar Association.
So he is a member of five associations which all work towards the
betterment of lawyers.
On the other hand the only associations which we become
members of are the ones which we have to become members by
law. Memberships in the societies which truly protect physicians
are dwindling. Less than 10% of physicians join these societies
which are trying to make a difference in the physicians' work
environment. I strongly believe that if physicians can come
together and work together they can be the most powerful group
in the United States. When I ask people why they don't become
members of the Medical Society they, who are part of a hospital
system, sometimes answer that they are getting paid anyway. They
do not realize that as physicians in general lose their benefits it will
ultimately reflect on them regardless of whether they work for the
hospital or they are in private practice. Ultimately all physicians
are in the same boat and we all have to work together to advance
our cause, regardless of whether we are part of a hospital system
or individual physicians. Hospitals themselves are working on a
very small margin and they, too, would profit if physicians can get
together, improve reimbursements and reduce the cost of running
businesses. Relationships with the hospital should be symbiotic:
when one does well so does the other, and vice versa.
In the end, despite all the hardship we face as physicians, our
profession is probably the most noble of all professions and we
all need to be proud of that. To make our personal lives more
bearable, improve our standard of living, and reduce our stresses,
we must work together and present our needs in a concise and
powerful manner rather than begging for our rights individually.
Mian A. Jan, M.D., is a practicing Cardiologist
and President of Chester County Medical Society.
Contact Dr. Jan at 610-827-1543.
WINTER 2018 | CHESTER COUNT Y Medicine 7
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ChesterCountyMedicineWinter2018

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