Eliminating Physicians/Medical Schools

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  1. Should physicians/Med Schools be phased out

    • 3
      Yes! NP's should replace physicians!
    • 100
      No! Physicians and Nurses serve important, and distinct roles
    • 2
      Maybe

105 members have participated

Serious Question. Should US Medical schools and physicians be phased out in favor of an NP driven and lead healthcare system? Some of my NP Peers assert that a 2 year Master degree NP program provides the equivalent education and yield superior outcomes than a 7 year medical school+ residency education trained Family Medicine Doctor. This saves students so much money and can easily fill the market with tons of trained healthcare providers. Plus, there are many online NP programs which opens the doors for many aspiring healthcare providers to study at their own pace and at home, without the burden and expense of having to attend a brick and mortar school.

NP's can easily transition into all the major sub specialities like dermatology, GI, psychiatry, surgery, Peds etc.. without all the red tape and regulations physicians need to go through.

With so many states gaining full NP autonomy and equal pay, with the argument that the nursing model is equal, if not better, than the physician model, do you think it is time for physicians to get the boot since they are too overtrained and a waste of limited resources when a cheaper NP can replace them?

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Is this a joke?

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Serious philosophical question about the state of healthcare.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Welcome to Allnurses. I see you joined 25 minutes ago. This is ludicrous to suggest replacing our current medical system of physician providers. You obviously underestimate the education & knowledge of physicians. Statistics can be twisted & misinterpreted in many ways. As a NP and a nurse for almost 40 years, I know that my education is not at the level of physicians. NPs have a role & a place in healthcare but no we can not replace physicians & and anyone who thinks it can be done does not understand the healthcare system. As to "so many states gaining autonomy" only about 22 states currently NPs have independent practice. I live in New Mexico where we have had Indy practice for about 23 years. We are a rural state & many areas lack providers of any type. Have you heard of the AMA? They are pretty powerful. As for you NP peers suggest you pick up an MCAT exam book then decide if you have what it takes to "replace a physician". Have any of your peers ever worked in a teaching hospital? I'm thinking you are trolling!

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Serious philosophical question about the state of healthcare.

I doubt that v. much. Looking to "catch" NPs claiming to be equal to physicians??

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.

Let me know how the 2 year online Master's NP does with your pituitary tumor resection.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Duplicate threads merged.

I am curious, OP, what made you ask this "serious" question?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Should US Medical schools and physicians be phased out in favor of an NP driven and lead healthcare system?
I will assume this query is serious, although the original poster's intentions seem mendaciously questionable at best.

Medical schools and physicians should NOT be phased out. In fact, getting rid of physicians and medical schools would be a disastrous idea. Moreover, incentives should be formulated to entice more medical students to enter family practice.

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatry.
Let me know how the 2 year online Master's NP does with your pituitary tumor resection.

I have a 2.1 GPA from the University of Phoenix in English literature of the 1900 and would like to pursue this Doctor of NP surgery degree. I am looking for a program that doesn't require RN experience (eewww... poopie!), can be completed fully online because I have 3 DUI's and cannot drive to campus, and comes with virtual clinical rotations. Plz respond.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
Duplicate threads merged.

I am curious, OP, what made you ask this "serious" question?

Oh , two separate posts! Siri, thanks for catching & margin the posts and for your comment.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
Let me know how the 2 year online Master's NP does with your pituitary tumor resection.

BAhahaHhaa, I actually watched a mengioma resection when I was stationed at Bethesda Naval Hospital in the early 1990's. Assigned on the neuroscience unit, the knowledge & skill required to become a neurosurgeon, just the residency takes 7 years. That's after medical school, internship then if selected for residency. It is very competitive to say the least. Great deal of respect for physicians and an honor to work with these brilliant souls.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Physicians are important and should definitely not be phased out.

NPs do some stuff better though. I think the training and philosophy in nursing makes most psych NPs preferable to most psychiatrists. I also personally prefer NP for gynecology. Not because they tend to be female. I prefer them to the female gynecologists.

I think NPs might be able to replace physicians in primary care too. But I don't think NPs are generally better here, like they are in psychiatry. Probably about the same.

We need physicians as specialists for sure and of course we need surgeons.

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