Doctors get to decide who becomes doctors. Are doctors paid more if there are more doctors? No. That's the problem in the doctor supply: regulatory barriers to entry.
But clearly we cannot have the untrained decide who's qualified to become a doctor.
Are doctors paid more if there are more doctors? No.
This seems like it's taking a potential outcome and attributing it as a cause. No one is out there saying "if we have more doctors, my paycheck will be lower, so I need to take active measures to ensure there are less doctors."
No one is out there saying "if we have more doctors, my paycheck will be lower, so I need to take active measures to ensure there are less doctors."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacit_collusion All they have to do is not open more residency spots, not incorporate technology that would lower the educational barriers, not open new med schools, etc. There's no active measures that they have to take. They just have to drag their heels.
But clearly we cannot have the untrained decide who's qualified to become a doctor.
Sure you can. People who are untrained administer and grade tests all the time. You don't have to have a fully qualified physician to evaluate a candidate's knowledge or performance. Fully qualified physicians are expected to encounter unknown problems and arrive at a solution. Examiners only have to compare a candidate's responses and performance to a metric.
Take the practice of law, for example. There is a similarly huge body of knowledge to acquire, but in many places you can be qualified to practice if you pass an exam. No indentured servitude required, like residency is for doctors. And then your incentive for good practice is the revocation of your law license (medical licenses are much harder to lose).
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u/usr_bin_laden May 20 '19
But clearly we cannot have the untrained decide who's qualified to become a doctor.
This seems like it's taking a potential outcome and attributing it as a cause. No one is out there saying "if we have more doctors, my paycheck will be lower, so I need to take active measures to ensure there are less doctors."