[net.med] Medical Licenses

45223wc@mtuxo.UUCP (w.cambre) (10/17/85)

Why would someone want to go to an unlicensed praticioner?  I can tell
you one reason.  To get a license, one has to attend umpteen years
of school and medical school.  Some of us don't like what US medical
schools do to practicioners and would therefore much prefer to use
say a 'lay' midwife.  But a lay midwife can't get a license in this state.
So you see, licenses are used to force people to go to an
authorized dealership to get medical care, and the authorizers are all
strongly related to the AMA.  Sounds like a violation of antitrust
laws to me.

john@ur-tut.UUCP (John Gurian) (10/20/85)

> So you see, licenses are used to force people to go to an
> authorized dealership to get medical care, and the authorizers are all
> strongly related to the AMA.  Sounds like a violation of antitrust
> laws to me.

As it turns out, the AMA has zero control of medical schools, in particular
the size of each class.  Besides, only about 50% of physicians belong to the
AMA, and the number is declining - largely because only about 20% of women
belong, and the number of women in medicine is growing year by year.

John Gurian (seismo!rochester!ur-tut!john)
Univ. of Rochester School of Medicine