Med School - No Longer a Social Ladder?

It seems apparent that in the United States the increasing costs, debt burden, and the economic crisis has limited the number of poor and lower-income families to send their kids to medical school. This is not an isolated American problem, as pointed out in this article the British system is experience the same limitations on social mobility through medical education. However, I must point out that their average debt is approximately only $53,ooo as opposed to the U.S. which is around $140,000!

When the economy gets its feet back on the ground, we need to really push for more grants, tuition caps and other strategies to rein in the costs. We also must press the government to return the interest deferment during the first 3 years of residency.

This country used thrive off of opportunities provided with hard work, diligence, and a good professional education. If medical school becomes an educational luxury of the upper middle class and rich only, then this country will lose a large -and hard earned- reputation of having an economic ladder and opportunity for all.

Entrepreneurs: the missing link in the training of medical scientists

I found this great article from the journal Nature. It talks about how academia, particularly in medicine tries to shield young, impressionable students from the private sector. The idea for this makes sense from a superficial observation. I mean, if all of my fellow students took notes with Viagra pens I would be worried about the future! But, honestly I think we have to approach this issue with more pragmatism. The greatness of medicine in this country has come when the research world and academia bridged itself to private industry, in a harmonious way. The article says,

"the major reason universities are reluctant to engage the private sector stems from a deep-seated feeling that their students represent a particularly vulnerable population, and must be protected from corrupting industry influences."

If students were taught more explicitly how to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and to translate their knowledge into the private sector - then their more pure aspirations of helping people are much more likely to come to fruition. I think essentially it must be a safe but encouraging balance between medical scientists in training and the private sector. Under the proper supervision and armed with a healthy reality of how business works, we can bridge the gap.

The FDA's Culture of Fear

In an article by the Wall Street Journal titled "FDA Scientists Ask Obama to Restructure Drug Agency" , they discuss a letter written by several FDA scientists to Obama's transition team. The letter explicitly tells of fishy business going on within the agency including a culture of fear among the honest employees. The "corrupt" agency employees have created an uncomfortable environment for those without their hands in the industry's pocket. It seems obvious that a regulatory group of an extremely profitable industry would have corrupt infiltrates, but to have such an openly sensed fear from those scientists who are truly trying to objectively analyze the data on drugs, devices, and other treatments, is a devastating reality.

Can we not find a balance between the profit incentives for innovation and public safety? The pharmaceutical industry as well as the device industry surely have developed some incredible, life saving and quality of life-improving things. At the same time that we embrace this and appreciate it, we must remember that regulation should do just as its name describes, regulate. Obama and Daschle need to work very hard to make sure the FDA remains as uninfluenced and corrupt-free as possible in order to maintain a scientifically objective regulatory body for the industry. This could mean reorganizing and self regulation improvements.

In return for record profits, all we ask is that the data these companies provide as proof for their product's success be scrutinized to the fullest extent- without worry that industry profiteers are letting them slide through unscathed.