Doctors get free food...ALL the time?!

Nurses General Nursing

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I noticed a few times at work that the MDs would take a water bottle for free every now and then, but today I was really observing them in the cafeteria, and I realized, ALL their food was free! They would just tell the cafeteria workers what they want or just grab however many yogurt cups their little heart desired (I saw one MD grab FIVE yogurt cups! What are you doing with five? Stocking up for your family? Give "free samples" to pts with diarreah or yeast infections? Or maybe he has diarrhea?)

Does your hospital give free food to doctors ALL the time? Special occassions like holidays don't count...

Man, and I've always wondered why the price was so high for not so great quality food...

Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I would love for our docs to get free food. I would love for it to be catered to them. Have you ever worked with a surgeon with low blood sugar? They get irritated, nasty, and sometimes downright mean. I always ask my docs before they scrub into a long case if they have eaten. If the answer is NO, I will go find them some peanut butter and some graham crackers if I can't find anything else and MAKE them eat!

At my former hospital, the unit secretary would call into the room to see how long a case was going to take when lunch time rolled around. Then she would ask them what she could order for them. These docs were always happy, and I loved it!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

I don't know about the cafeteria but I know that at a lot of the hospitals, they have grand rounds, various meetings, inservices and conferences during which they receive catered meals....top notch stuff...... several times a week. Nursing administration was also invited to these meetings, but you never saw line staff there.....never ever. I remember when I was doing my CNS clinicals at one particular hospital, I never paid for a meal during my entire rotation, I just went to grand rounds with my preceptor and ate like a queen. Silverware, linen tablecloths, the whole nine yards. One day, I left one of these inservices and went down to one for the nurses....we were all piled into a waiting room for the patients....crammed on folding chairs elbow to elbow. The contrast between how the two halves lived was never so stark. It was depressing.

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Specializes in Addiction / Pain Management.

Would not be suprised if that "free food" was actually charged pretaxed.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I used to work at a hospital that had a private MD lounge (once included PAs and NPs, but they were kicked out) that served three catered meals per day. I also used to work at an outpatient clinic that comped all meals in the cafeteria for MDs, PAs, and NPs.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

My hospital makes physicians, PAs, RNFAs, and CRNAs pay a fee each year(about $500.00) that covers all their meals, drinks and snacks. Although they don't stand in line to pay, they still have to pay for all the food that they eat.

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

They do have a private lounge but as far as I know, they pay for their food.

There are more of US than them so I wouldn't expect to get free food...plus the food is halfway decent and cheap anyway.

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I have no idea. I don't worry about what other people are getting, I just mind my own business. Why do you care OP?

Why do I care? I was only curious because its what I observed. I've been meaning to ask one of the cafeteria workers if the MDs really do get food for free. That's all. I'm not going to write to the ethics board about it lol

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How are these hospitals getting around this not falling under anti-kickback? I was under the impression the little lounge thing could happen, but just blatantly "free" food? If not apart of the compensation arrangement, would this not fall under that?

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