For a practicing physician , in order to practice in any state of the US , one needs a medical license . But for each state one has to have a state license .Besides  ton of paper work and being  expensive , it seems to be a ritualistic procedure where we are trying to keep some tradition alive .

In modern digital era , data storage and data sharing begins as soon as one joins the residency program .At that point we are supposed to submit information about our Medical education , work experience , any past mishaps and what not . We also have to obtain a temporary medical license of that particular state , where we finish residency .

But the moment we join a practice , we start the licensing procedure all over again , which makes no sense at all . All the information is a click away .

International medical graduates [IMGs] face the biggest hurdle as they have to get their paper work signed at their Alma Mater .Moving paper work in India is a herculean task .Besides getting a lecture from your office staff , that what a disservice you are doing to your nation by being a part of the brain drain , some times the paper work is not even traceable .Its specially difficult for those IMGs whose medical Colleges are away from their homes as one of their family members has to visit personally the Medical College to get the paper work signed .

I think its high time that such meaning less and antique excercise  should be abandoned . Past does not change for any body .

There should be a national licensing authority and any information the state board needs can be added on to it .

India happens to be the  world capital of skilled human resource .A lot of India’s improved economic situation is attributed to the diaspora and Governmental policy has  a major role to play  in it . Education is free  or subsidized and since childhood its ingrained in us that for an economically safe life , invest yourself in just education . The whole aim of the nation is to churn out clonal professionals .

But when being the 2 nd most populous country , it performs so dismally at the sports arena , we pause to introspect . 

Though,  there was a silver lining , as our women did us proud  and our nation celebrated them .More so , as we all know that a big part of the society still thinks female child as  a burden .Female Infanticide , grudged education , dowry problems , the social maladies are countless against women .

At this point ,we need government investment economically and policy wise in Sports .Also a  corruption  and  bureaucracy free selection process as countries like US  which has the highest medal tally ,does not  a   sports minister . As per Chinese media analysis , the rural India is   a  big human resource .

Scholarships, jobs , financial rewards would definitely tap an untapped part of society which we are currently loosing to anonymity 

 

 

As  I have mentioned multiple times in my blog ,primary care physician’s job is nothing to envy about .They  work in a pressure cooker environment sandwiched between litigious environment , administrative strangle and overwhelming workload with the lowest compensation

No wonder the burnout rate is maximum

In my residency days we were trained for almost all situations , but it was never made clear to us that a great part of practice would be dodging the lawyers by filling up the forms in a right manner

Every patient needs a form  to be filled up .Surprisingly every department has a form which needs  a countersignature from a doctor

School form , School medication form , school physical form , sports physical form , Grandma has  a problem …needs a change of school form

I  ride a horse ….need a disability parking ticket form , Jog all day , but need a ground floor accommodation form ,Go on vacations but need an electricity discount form , can’t work , don’t want to work ….

This is the icing on the cake

Don’t let my mother in law keep the parrots form

Is there  a give me break form ?????

There was a very disturbing revelation in the media that State of Washington tops the list of teen suicides and it has been the statistics for the last three decades . Among the top causes sited were , substance abuse , poverty and of course mental health issues

Behavioral health facilities have always been  found lacking in tackling mental health issues . There has been a drastic cut in  Federal funding since 1981 . In the face of ever increasing demand , specialized help is never ever received in time and specialists are far and few in between as the compensations are not very great as compared to other specialities .

EMR and meaningful use has been enforced  so that there  is a better justification of federal funding and medicare and medicaid payments . Physicians are  incentivized  and now there is a direct association of physician’s efforts to indicators of patient’s physical health .

But such  aggressive measures are not seen in Mental health . A bill has been introduced in the House of Representative in summer of 2015 for linking meaningful use to Medicare and Medicaid payments but its implementation has not been seen in a wide spread manner

Behavioral health needs more funding as physical health is incomplete without mental health.  A  mentally disturbed society has very tragic social ramifications .