Who's planning on working in a free clinic after med school?

[jayski2030]

Is anyone out there planning on becoming medical director of a free clinic, or a physician that serves low-income communities? I've gotten the impression that many people here are in it mostly for the money. Am I wrong? I just began volunteering at a facility that offers free medical/counseling services, a needle exchange, free harm reduction educational sessions, free donuts and muffins, etc. I couldn't see working as a doctor in any other type of environment.

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[Amy B]

I am planning on volunteering after graduating. All the doctors that I worked with in the free clinic where I volunteered, were all volunteers. Some were residents, some had busy practices and some were doing community service due to crimal violations (most were due to DUIs, which is really awful!!!).

Since I saw first hand how our doctors made a difference to our clinic, I have always known that I would give my time when I become a doctor.

There are some us out here who aren't doing it for the money.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by jayski2030
Is anyone out there planning on becoming medical director of a free clinic, or a physician that serves low-income communities? I've gotten the impression that many people here are in it mostly for the money. Am I wrong? I just began volunteering at a facility that offers free medical/counseling services, a needle exchange, free harm reduction educational sessions, free donuts and muffins, etc. I couldn't see working as a doctor in any other type of environment.

i want to work at CHO (Oakland).
you cant just say people are in it for the money. thats pretty much insensitive and ignorant.

there are many of us who want to help our community and make a contribution to medicine without compensation as our #1 objective.
most people will agree if money is your #1 objective to enter medicine they are pretty much dumb.

i want to serve in a low income community but in addition i would like to make sure i earn enough to support a family and not have my children have to experience extreme adversity like i have.

so yeah. there are plenty of sdnners that dont see dollar signs when they see patients.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

you can think of residency as similar to volunteering...i mean you are getting paid under minimum wage, if you divide salary by number of hours worked. i can't wait!

 

[jayski2030]

I also heard that people will often go into it for altruistic reasons, and then they get the student loan bill in the mail and feel forced to re-examine their idealist outlook. I really don't want to be one of those people, the bill collectors WILL be lurking. The idea of volunteering part time at a clinic, and working at a private practice part time to full time sounds intriguing.

 

[sgilani]

i, with a group of my friends, am working right now to start up a free clinic so that by the time we get out of med school it'll be up and running for us to work in.

 

[jayski2030]

wow...more info on starting your own clinic would be great!

 

[sgilani]

the students at nyu med just had a conference a couple of weekends ago on everything you need to know for starting a free clinic. they had presentations from the ECHO clinic-affiliated with einstein and the NYCFC (new york city free clinic)-affiliated with nyu. i think one of the most impt things is to become affiliated with a university hospital so that your insurance costs are covered and so that routine lab tests can be done and referrals can be made. there's a lot to say about this topic. google NYCFC or ECHO and see what you come up with.

 

[Ryo-Ohki]

I assume you are either unmarried w/o kids or have a substantial trust fund.

If you can find a way to give your talents to a free clinic full time, then more power to you.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

I'm having a difficult time understanding this. You aren't done with your education when you finish medical school, why would you join a free clinic at that time? Do you plan on not going to a residency program?

 

[sgilani]

Originally posted by Ryo-Ohki
I assume you are either unmarried w/o kids or have a substantial trust fund.

If you can find a way to give your talents to a free clinic full time, then more power to you.

your assumption is correct about the kids part although i am not sure what that has to do with anything. kids or not, it can be done.
substantial trust fund... haha i wish. there is such a thing as grant writing.

 

[sgilani]

Originally posted by nuclearrabbit77
I'm having a difficult time understanding this. You aren't done with your education when you finish medical school, why would you join a free clinic at that time? Do you plan on not going to a residency program?

yes i won't be done with my education but even MS3, MS4s work at the ECHO and NYCFC in nyc. they often conduct the physicals and then work with an attending to make a diagnosis and proceed with treatment. thus, as a resident i should be able to do the same if not more.

 

[gtb]

Before medical school, I was most definitely committed to working in a free clinic for the remainder of my career. Then I worked in free clinics. A downtown clinic for the homeless population (rewarding but too boring with respect to medical problems), a medicaid type child health clinic at the local Children's Hospital (too frustrating because many of the patients treat you like you're the clerk at the food stamp counter), and finally during my surgical rotation at a Catholic hospital which maintained a charity surgical service. The surgical clinic was most rewarding of all three free clinics, but even there many of the patients blew off their appointments (maybe because it was free) and then bitched loudly when they were told a reschedule was necessary.

I've noticed that when medicine is completely free, some of the patients will "milk the system," and I find that too frustrating to consider making free clinics my life's work. And as so many attendings have told me, "You can't volunteer to doctor a population that is most likely to sue." Some med liability companies will raise your rates if you volunteer. Reality bites, but keep up the optimisim, maybe things will change by the time you guys are free and clear attendings.

 

[FowlersGap]

i'm volunteering at a free clinic right now and i look forward to going each week
its not a drag like other places...shadowing...wheeling around patients
its good work and it confirmed my desire for med.
i definitely want to integrate working at a free clinic part time into my future career

 

[Paws]

I second the notion that 'free' anything is often disregarded. NPR had a newsclip about Legal Aid and how they were trying to charge a base fee because they had found that if the services were completely free - the clients were less respectful, didn't show for appts, and did not consider the 'quality' as good.

On the other hand, when a nominal fee was charged, say $50 or whatever, then the clients were MUCH more liked to show for appts, were much more respectful towards the lawyer, and were surveyed as feeling much more satisfied with the quality of the work.

Go figure - but definitely homeless and low income can be infuriating when they demand all kinds of crazy things, and are rude to boot. Like they seem to lose sight of the fact that people are donating their time and effort for free. Human nature, I guess.

 

[exmike]

sign up for the National Health Services Corp. You work in an underserved area for a given amount of time, and the gov't pays off your loans.

Might be good for you james if you end up going to MSU with their tuition.

 

[jayski2030]

When you're being charged with a felony, you're too poor to hire a private attorney, and the court appointed counsel barely puts in half an effort to get your sentence or charges reduced, it's hard to show any respect.

On the flipside, The Legal Aid Society is swamped with work and it's impossible for them to give the proper amount of attention to each individual client.

There are two sides to each story.