by Selina J

Created on: July 16, 2008

I admit it. When I was weighing different majors in college, I considered medicine - not only for healing patients, but also for the money. When I consulted my father, who had been a doctor for nearly twenty-five years, he surprisingly steered me in a different direction.

He noted the changes in healthcare, including HMO's, government regulations, and drastic increases in malpractice insurance - and admitted that if he were just starting out, becoming a doctor would not be his choice. He felt strongly about healing patients, but many times what he feels is necessary to treat a patient is delayed because it has to be approved by insurance, and at times treatments are denied or only partially covered, leaving the patient either without proper treatment or in financial stress. He became a medical doctor because of his desire to help and heal others, and did so for many years. But his job was becoming more of a daily battle with insurance companies. So I did not follow his footsteps and become a medical doctor.

After going my own direction, living several states away working in medical research, my personal life turned sour and I returned home. Fate would have it that his office was falling apart, mainly because he remained focused on healing patients and not on the money. He needed assistance getting the office back on track. And although I had no experience with medical offices or billing, I stepped in, let go of all the employees and ran the office by myself for six months.

This helped me gain a clear understanding of what it takes to run a medical office, and I hired new employees for various aspects of the business. I found a manager to handle the bulk of fighting with insurance companies, so my father didn't have to deal with them as much. I remain on staff (remotely, as I have moved away) as payroll manager and consultant, to handle situations as they arise, and also to act as a buffer between him and the staff as needed.

There are times that he seems to forget that this is his business, and that is one of the reasons he is highly sought out by patients. His schedule is overflowing. He spends more time than most doctors truly listening to his patients. He really has a love of the healing profession, and I believe that is where doctors' focus should be.

The medical profession doesn't pay as much as it used to because of the regulations imposed on doctors and their practices. Many times, people don't realize all the fees that doctors have to pay just to practice, to keep up to date on required certifications and insurance. Patients leave the office not knowing how much additional time is spent on their behalf getting treatments approved and medical bills paid. They don't realize all the time spent dickering with insurance companies on their behalf - doctors themselves have to spend time battling them, or pay staff to take care of it. These factors are a few reasons why doctors today must be more motivated by healing patients and less by the money aspect. If they are in it for the money, they will be sorely disappointed and likely will find a way to use their M.D. in more lucrative aspects, such as consulting, and not actually healing patients.

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