"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Robert Green" wrote:

"philo" wrote in message news:mhlk1p$j52

I would not want to go to a doctor who only had 2 years of school.

Sadly, that's the direction we're heading. Many doctors with good
education
credentials are being replaced by nurse practitioners and physician's
assistants who just don't have the education required to replace
doctors.

These NP/PAs are typically "sold" as doing things that it's too
expensive
for doctors to do, but in my experience many clinics and doctor's groups
use
them as much cheaper direct replacements for licensed MDs. The NP that
my
doctors use didn't impress me at all. She told me things about the meds
she
was prescribing that were just flat out wrong. Her understanding of my
medical issues was weak, to say the least, and I was about to file a
complaint with the medical board when they switched me back to an actual
MD
who had at least 10 years' more experience and education.

Depends on the setting . . .

(translation: if you cherry pick the data)

. . . there is a long line of studies (from at 2000
forward) showing no differences in outcomes between alternate providers
(NPs and PAs) in ambulatory settings. The same has held true for nurse
gas passers and midwives. The outcomes from hospitalist and critical
care isn't as robust.

Which is to say "their professionalism is at issue mostly when the stakes
are high." I'd agree.

And so your personal experiences (the classic n=1 study) is enough
to make policy on?

Jeez. When did I say or write anything even closely resembling my desire to
let my few personal experiences direct public policy?

--
Bobby G.