Letters to the Editor - Nov. 26, 2007

Tort system reflects a greedy society - What will the test of time reveal about what really matters to those seeking medical career?

Tort system reflects a greedy society

Regarding: "Lawyer who sued wrong physician won't pay up" (Article, Oct. 22/29) and "Expert witness sues ophthalmology society" (Article, Oct. 22/29): The American law industry has devised a splendid marketing aid to increase its turnover: the "contingency fee," which rewards the lawyers with a fat slice, 30% to 40%, of any damages they get for their client, but nothing if they lose. No sale, no commission.

Woodrow Wilson once observed, "Law is the crystallization of the habit and thought of the society." Therefore, when society degenerates or when society's moral fiber is impaired, the legal system reflects that depravity.

Greed is as human as eating, and demanding gigantic damages for real or imagined injury is as American as apple pie.

--Vadrevu K. Raju, MD, Morgantown, W.V.

What will the test of time reveal about what really matters to those seeking medical career?

Regarding "Record number vied for 2007-08 medical school slots" (Article, Nov. 5, 2007): According to the article, an increasing number of students are applying to medical school, and they have a strong sense of altruism.

The story also says that students are attracted to medical school when the economy is soft because medicine is seen as more recession-proof than law or business.

But isn't there a serious contradiction here?

If students' decisions to apply to medical school are determined by how hard or soft the economy is, then maybe their altruism is not as great a motivating factor as described.

The real test of this is would be to do a retrospective study in about 10 years and see how many of these altruistic-minded medical students settled on low-paying primary care careers and how many chose high-paying specialties.

--Edward J. Volpintesta, MD, Bethel, Conn.

The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment.
Meeting coverage - Slideshow