R-E-S-P-E-C-T

This is a very simple word. It is defined as esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability. Do people in our society have this anymore. Do we hold ourselves or others to a sense of worth or excellence. People talk about doing drugs and drinking alcohol and destroying their bodies as a victimless crime. Do these people though even care about themselves, and if they don't, can they have a sense of worth for others. Do people hold their authority figures in higher esteem who have been placed over them. People talk about how they hate a person or how they are terrible at what they do. Even though it may be true, shouldn't we hold these people who have worked hard to get where they were to a higher level. I'm sure many people would not want someone degrading them and trying to point out every flaw that they have. Should we wish for people to lose their job just because they don't do everything to our liking. When did this world become all about us. Our society is so self-centered that people are thinking that the world really does revolve around them. I hate to break it to these people, but it doesn't. Maybe if we just respect others and give people a sense of worth, more can be accomplished without the pettiness and trying to just get a leg up for the sake of getting a leg up.

On a lighter note, the Yankees are 1-1 after the first two games of the season. I'm so happy baseball season is underway since it pretty much signals the start of spring and nice weather. My only note to people is to remember that baseball is just that, baseball. Its just a game and honestly doesn't matter that much in the big scheme of things and just because someone has a bad day, there is no need to overreact. This is also a pretty good mantra for life. Grades are just grades, money is just money. There is no need to overreact to the little things and save it for the real tragedies. The only things that really matter in life are God and others. So until it involves that directly, its not worth the anger.

Until later,

TVoR

What to expect

I am a first year medical school student with interests in politics, medicine, and sports. You can expect posts on all three of those subjects but with no real rhyme or reason to when each is posted about. I will say up front that I am a conservative/libertarian, Yankee fan, PSU fan, and Denver fan and for the most part will try to stay unbiased, but no guarantees. So off we go...


Over the past weekend, Congress passed a health care reform bill that was signed into law by President Obama. As a future doctor, I had a certain interest in this. I do believe that people should have access to care and a way to pay for it so people aren't put into massive amounts of debt to get an appendix removed. I do wonder though how the government plans to "fix" this. All they have done is force everyone to get insurance which will just put a strain on the system since there are already not enough doctors in this country. Most countries with socialized medicine do not like it and have to go elsewhere for care (i.e. the Canadian Prime Minister coming to the US for heart surgery). Everyone likes to cite statistics such as infant mortality rates and less quality outcomes. What people need to realize is that other countries have different standards for what is a live birth and the US has care that can keep premature infants alive for longer periods of time and may not be able to save all of them which is then an infant death. Optimal clinical outcomes are also very skewed because it is completely arbitrary. When someone tears a bicep, surgery is required to fix it, and if not corrected in time, function of the muscle can be partially or completely lost. Hey, that might be the reason Canadians go to the US for that surgery and pay cash for it. If the arm heals itself, but function is lost, is that an optimal clinical outcome? That is the question that needs to be asked.
The health care bill did more to just reform insurance more than anything. It keeps insurance companies from denying pre-existing conditions. That is all well and good, but just remember, health insurance is like car, home, or life insurance, and the company will use your data to assess risk and how much health care dollars you will use. This will lead to higher premiums for people with existing conditions and if they can't hike rates on high risk people, then low risk people will bear the rest of the cost. Honestly, I could go on for hours about how this bill does nothing but increase government interference in the private sector while doing nothing to decrease cost or premiums or lower the deficit. Keep in mind that any money assumed in the bill has to be accounted for by the CBO so when they use unrealistic projections, that is what the CBO accounts for in their tally.
I find it amazing that this bill does not cap malpractice suits and allow for insurance to be sold across state lines, because that is what will drive down costs (no defensive medicine to avoid lawsuits) and decrease insurance premiums. So for everyone for Health Care Reform, a few thoughts...

1. The post office is a monopoly on mail delivery yet can not turn a profit.
2. When has government ever increased efficiency and established a bureaucracy that works.
3. Why is it that more and more doctors do not take government run medicaid and medicare.

Take care and until next time,

A voice of reason