Jack Hamilton wrote:
> "-hh" wrote:
>
> >Also, that 24/7 MD...have you ever stopped to think why they're working
> >onboard a cruise ship rather than in their own practice? Especially on
> >a foreign, non-USA flagged ship? No, its not a 'See the World'
> >because its the same itineary week after week. Think about it.
>
> A few possibilities:
>
> - They won't necessarily get free time in port on any given cruise, so
> it might take many cruises to actually see everything.
Yes, it is always "possible" that someone will want to spent 3 months
of their life to go see what could be done in two weeks. However,
Occam's Razor tells us that the more likely explanation is that they
just needed a job.
> - They don't want to deal with managed care and insurance companies.
Yes, it is always "possible" that someone doesn't want to deal with
such paperwork. However, Occam's Razor tells us that they're unlikey
to be then willing to work for an employer, let alone at a job with
"24/7" call hours and then on top of that, be willing to take a 60% cut
in pay (Cruise ship MD pay @ $57-$84K compared to a GP @ $152-$201K
benchmarked at the 25th and 75th pay percentiles). What Occam's Razor
is telling us is that the more likely explanation is that they're more
likely to be desperate instead of fussy...for their job selection.
> - They have retired from regular practice and just want to keep their
> hand in while doing something interesting.
Yes, it is always "possible" that someone who wants to retire will
instead choose to work a 24/7 on-call job. But Occam's Razor simply
laughs at how rediculous this is: when the alternative would simply
have been to not retire and to cut down on hours as one gets older, to
move to a more demanding (hours) and lower paying job is simply not a
rational decision. As such, some other factor is much more likely in
play that adversely affects their employability in the domestic market
(ie, malpractice lawsuits).
> - They want to open a private geriatrics practice, and what better
> place to get experience than a cruise ship?
There's 17,000 Nursing Homes in the USA, vs 400 Cruise Ships worldwide.
That's roughly a 50:1 ratio in job opportunities...no guessing what
Occam's Razor says about that.
In other words, all of Jack's "explanations" were technically possible,
but in reality were apologetically and optimistic spun to try to avoid
admitting that it just might be a haven for MD's with poor
qualifications and/or factors that make them otherwise unemployable in
the US Domestic Healthcare marketplace.
BTW, when a ship is sailing outside a national jurisdiction, there is
no regulatory record-keeping requirement for any medical treatment(s)
administered. If the worst happens, good luck pursuing any malpractice
lawsuit.
-hh
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