The career of physicians has become less glamorous with the corporation of the health sector that has taken place from late last century. Mckinlay and Marceau believe that this has resulted in lowering the professionalism of physicians. Gone are the days when knowledge about the working of the human body used to be a preserve of medical practitioners. Most doctors have moved from self-employed and become employees of health conglomerates that are run as businesses[1]. The changes that have taken place in the field of physicians are not bad. They should be embraced, as they in the long run will benefit everyone, especially the common persons.
Comparing the doctors to the monks that faded into oblivion is not right, as the need for physicians shall always exist. The complaints brought forth regarding the increase in the number of non-physician clinicians are not valid. It should be viewed as a blessing for the masses, whose access to health may become easier than previously. There is the likelihood that trained physicians might feel out of place and a bit disempowered, as a result of losing the privilege they had enjoyed for so long. This was bound to happen as the common persons become more informed thanks to the internet. The world is also moving towards efficiency in terms of the provision of services, and this must be the reason for the corporation of health care facilities.
The opinion of the reader is that the developments in the health sector should be hailed instead of being frowned upon. The quality of service given by a doctor to a patient does not necessarily depend on the duration of the interaction. The increased efficiency of the health facilities, the increasing number of healthcare professionals, and informed patients are positive developments. With every progress in society, established institutions are bound to get shaken. In this instance, the monopoly and glamour of physicians have been shaken.
Bibliography
Mckinlay, John B, and Lisa D Marceau. “The end of the golden age of doctoring.” International Journal of Health Services 32, no. 2 (2002): 379–416.
[1] John B Mckinlay and Lisa D Marceau. “The end of the golden age of doctoring.” International Journal of Health Services 32, no. 2 (2002): 241–243.