UK Docs, Nurses Face Cleavage Ban

Radiologists at top, pediatricians at bottom

(NEWSER) - The annual survey from Medscape/WebMD has all kinds of interesting factoids about physician finances—including the fact that many doctors regret their career choice. Highlights:

• Highest paid: Radiologists and orthopedic surgeons make $315,000, followed by cardiologists ($314,000), anesthesiologists ($309,000), and urologists ($309,000).
• Lowest paid: Pediatricians ($156,000) make the least, followed by family medicine doctors ($158,000), internal medicine doctors ($165,000), diabeticians/endocrinologists ($168,000), and psychiatrists ($170,000).

Many 'go gently' rather than opting for extreme measures: Dr. Ken Murray

(NEWSER) - You'd think a doctor with, say, a terminal illness or a weak heart would have an inside edge over the rest of us and opt for the most whiz-bang, no-holds-barred treatment available. Just the opposite, writes Ken Murray, MD, in the Zocalo Public Square (as spotted by Andrew Sullivan's blog ). Doctors "don't die like the rest of us," writes Murray. "What’s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little." They have seen first-hand the desperate, expensive , usually futile measures taken to save a life, generally because end-of-life wishes were not explicitly spelled out. More»

A doctorate does not a doctor make, say many MDs

(NEWSER) - As more and more nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists are earning PhD degrees, a battle is raging over which health care professionals can use the prestigious title "doctor," reports the New York Times . Nurses especially are pursuing doctorates, eager to increase their pay and promotional opportunities—last year, 153 schools handed out 7,037 doctor of nursing practice degrees, compared to just four schools and 170 degrees in 2004—but PhDs are increasingly required in pharmacy and physical therapy, too. More»

They'll try to see whether physicians give preference to private insurance

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration fears there are too few primary care doctors to go around—so it’s launching a team of “mystery shoppers” to look into the physicians’ availability. The undercover callers will seek appointments at doctors’ offices nationwide to determine ease of access. Some will say they’ve got private insurance, while others will say they’re on public plans; the administration hopes to discover whether doctors discriminate between the two, reports the New York Times . More»

They've just got enough for pregnant women, doc warns

(NEWSER) - Nervous UK health care providers are running out of the vaccine for a scary swine flu strain that has claimed 39 lives. Manufacturers have warned they have no supplies left in the wake of a surge of new cases, reports the Telegraph . "There's enough vaccine for pregnant women who need it, and that's it," said one doctor. Officials are seeking remaining supplies in other European countries. Some 700 people with the flu are currently being treated in critical care facilities. More»