practice makes perfect

Other or New Category Please!

Well, I came up with the list of categories you see to the left, trying to think through the different topic areas that might be of interest to physicians just starting out, or those contemplating a move. Categories without a post yet are:
Practice Economics
Flying Solo
Practice Politics
Relocatiing Family
Making the Decision to Make A Change
Suburbia
Quality of Life
Other/New Category Please is the catch-all, miscellaneous, and all the categories I never thought of choice.
I'll be including some bits of research in all these areas, so please send me a comment on your interests.
Thanks.

Healthcare Access in the Country

When I was a toddler, I had asthma attacks fairly often. At least several times, I know my parents raced me over country roads to the doctor's office some 15 miles away for a shot of adrenalin. At that time, before the advent of the federal interstate highway system, living 30 miles from Philadelphia was considered the "exurbs" - beyond the suburbs, a catchy new name for rural communities outside large metropolitan areas.

When I-95 came plowing through, however, some small villages and the adjacent farmland became hubs of growing populations from housing developments, with widened roads and shopping strip sprawl. Others went by the wayside, becoming nothing more than crossroads with names only known by locals whose families had lived here for generations. Newcomers wondered why roads took 90 degree turns. (Originally, to respect each farms boundaries)

Even now though, living smack-dab in the middle of the northeast corridor, somewhere between Philadelphia, Allentown, and Princeton, I travel on and over some of the last dirt roads and stream fords left in this area of the country. When I need to go grocery shopping, or to the doctor or hospital, I still travel 1/2 an hour to get there. To me, this is a small price to pay for peace and tranquility, but it sure is inconvenient when you don't feel well and need to fill a prescription.

There certainly are far more remote areas in much less populated areas of this country where people travel much further than I to get medical attention. I've often wondered whether doctors that practice in these remote areas do so because it has always been their home, or if they have made a choice to do so because, for some reason, they were attracted to a lifestyle much different than their up-bringing.

Top 10 - Fastest Growing Cities

Physicians are needed everywhere, but there is particular need (and opportunity) in areas where the population is growing faster than services can catch up.

Here are the top 10 fastest growing cities in the U.S., as listed on http://www.govspot.com:

Metro Area Growth* Population
1. Las Vegas 83.3% 1,563,282
2. Naples, Fla. 65.3% 251,377
3. Yuma, Ariz. 49.7% 160,026
4. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 48.5% 569,463
5. Austin-San Marcos, Texas 47.7% 1,249,763
6. Fayetteville-Springdale-, AR 47.5% 311,121
7. Boise City, Idaho 46.1% 432,345
8. Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz. 45.3% 3,251,876
9. Laredo, Texas 44.9% 193,117
10. Provo-Orem, Utah 39.8% 368,536

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

* Growth rate from 1990 to 2000

I would be interested to know what the outlook is where you are currently, or where you are considering practiciing. Is this a big factor in your choice of where you want to practice medicine?

Community Involvement - I'm Curious

Physicians have always played an integral role in the fabric of any community. Every frontier town in the TV westerns had one who was an important character in every episode. Even the new HBO series "Deadwood", filled with gruesome, evil excuses for humanity, has a somewhat benevolent and caring 'doc' trying to patch-up all the inhumanity around him.
The important contributions doctors quietly made behind the scenes in frontier America were probably well known through the grapevine, but in today's fast-paced, high tech, and litigious society, how do you find the time, energy and venue to make a difference outside your office? Are you able to coach a sports team or volunteer in an area outside of medicine? Do those activities relieve stress, or contribute to it? I'm just curious.

Big City Living - Coming Soon

This is an idea for a category where physicians and their families can relate their experiences about practicing and living in the urban landscape. Some interesting stats and research to follow. Any comments?

A short visit to Amazon

No, not to the Amazon, to Amazon - the website. One small search phrase on Amazon leads you from book to book, then topic to topic. It's a jungle of books and other media out there! That must be where the name came from.

Anyway, to get the ball rolling I thought I would throw out a few physican and medical practice related titles I ran across in my search:

How to Join, Buy, or Merge A Physician's Practice, by Yvonne Mart Fox & Brett A. Levine

Caring for Patients from Different Cultures: Case Studies from American Hospitals, by Geri-Ann Galanti

The Successful Physician: A Productivity Handbook for Practicioners, by Marshall O. Zaslove

Caring for Patients: A Critique of the Medical Model, by Allen B. Barbour

The Business of Medical Practice: Profit Maximizing Skills for Savvy Doctors, by Dr. David E. Marcinko, MBA, CFP

I haven't read these books (although the completely unbiased reviewers on Amazon think they are great!). Perhaps you have read one of these - and would, or wouldn't recommend the book to someone else.

What other books do you recommend on practice set-up and management, patient care, or other topics? Perhaps I'll track down a book author or two and invite them to post.

Well, on to another category - let's see, where will my research take me next? Urban practice and living? What to do when your 13 year old daughter will "absolutely die" if you take that wonderful new opportunity 6 states away? Read on - but not too quickly - it takes time to get all these plates twirling at once! Check back soon to see new Categories popping up.