1934 replies to this topic

[Midnightly]

Retiring GP’s can’t even *give away* turn key practices. I’m not sure what the issue with attracting GP’s is. Probably money.

Matt.

 

 

it's more attractive to specialize in something vrs being a general GP, owning a practice you do take on the risks and paperwork that come with running the business, it also locks you down.. you can't really move since you have thousands of patients depending on you, or go on an extended leave... there is also better money and more learning opportunities in specializing (and it can also be alot more interesting then being a GP monitoring peoples day to day needs and seeing endless colds)

 

this might just be the new way of the future.. the government runs the facility and the practice where the doctors are the employees, you can request to see a specific doctor but you could be looked at by any doctor within the practice (similar to a walk in clinic) and if a doctor leaves the records all stay with the clinic

[Veblen]

547 Michigan St was already a medical clinic and primary care office. Several GPs retired and their patients were stranded. I wonder if this new clinic will take those patients back?

Can confirm, as my GP moved to 547 then retired a few years later... I got a letter saying that I’m on my own and good luck.

I have a few friends who wrangled a nurse practitioner as their primary care person. They all rave about it. Unfortunately it seems the way they achieved that is, to put it crudely, get knocked up. I suffer from a condition known as “a Y chromosome” and we’re still several years from wanting a planned pregnancy, so unsure how to proceed..! My folks had the same (retired) GP as me but had the “luck” of both getting diagnosed with relatively mild chronic conditions in the past few years. That seemed to make it much easier to snag a new GP (aka referral generator, I mean who trusts the guy who opted for the worst-paid specialization jeez!).

[Mike K.]

Some docs and practitioners will take you on during the pregnancy then after delivery you’re on your own again.

[Jackerbie]

Retiring GP’s can’t even *give away* turn key practices. I’m not sure what the issue with attracting GP’s is. Probably money.

Matt.

 

It's simply too attractive to specialize

 

It's a complicated combination of factors, everything from finances to the university education system.

 

GPs get paid a set rate that doesn't change across BC, but the cost of operating a practice is different in Victoria and Terrace. They also can't simply raise their fees to compensate for higher overhead (staff salaries, property tax, etc). That's why you'll see dentists and physio clinics in new builds downtown, but never a doctor's office. On the university side, the schools don't teach much in the way of business, so taking over a functioning practice can be a daunting task.

 

Admissions skew heavily towards people who have demonstrated a philanthropic spirit and a desire to "make a difference," and generally these highly aspirational people don't translate to GPs as much as they do surgeons or researchers. I know quite a few people who have been through UBC and McGill, and the graduating GPs tend to be from smaller towns and end up going back to practice near home, while the major urban centres get lots and lots of specialists.

[Mike K.]

Or they get siphoned off to the United States.

 

There's also such a backlog for getting physicians fully accredited that for some it's not worth pursuing their education to completion if other opportunities materialize. Some even become nurses just to step out of the never-ending university cycle and into the workforce.

[LJ]

There is the same problem with doctors in the US. Many smaller towns and cities are very short of docs.

 

A few places are paying student loans off for doctors if they commit to 5 years in the community.

Edited by LJ, 27 November 2019 - 07:58 PM.

[North Shore]

I was fortunate enough to get onto the patient list of my physician about a year and a half ago through the intervention of the doctor who does my aviation medicals. I was quite clear with my hopes that he’d be a permanent doc to me, but he did mention that the cost of real estate in Victoria was a factor for him and his wife. Prior to that, my doc of ~ 20 years retired, and, as Matt said above, couldn’t find one person to take over his patients or practice.

[spanky123]

Some docs and practitioners will take you on during the pregnancy then after delivery you’re on your own again.

 

I wonder if any of our local politicians or their families have difficulty finding a GP?!

[lanforod]

Cost of real estate in Victoria is a factor for doctors? They can in most cases afford to buy a nice home here. I suppose if they factor in that they could buy an even nicer home elsewhere, but why do we have so many people moving here if even the doctors can't afford it...

[Mike K.]

They're moving here and buying a home, as opposed to doctors who need to buy a home and operate a viable business.

[spanky123]

There are plenty of doctors here. What is changing is that there are far more female doctors and many would rather work in a clinic with variable hours than commit to a practice, and many more younger doctors who rather work as hospitalists where they can make more money with less grief. 

[Mike K.]

Speaking of which, my mom's new walk-in clinic doctor has just informed her patients she'll be leaving for mat leave.

 

Back to square one, after her GP that she managed to secure in 2016 announced last year he was moving out of Victoria.

[Jackerbie]

There are plenty of doctors here. What is changing is that there are far more female doctors and many would rather work in a clinic with variable hours than commit to a practice, and many more younger doctors who rather work as hospitalists where they can make more money with less grief. 

 

I mean would you want to run a business where the income is fixed but the expenses fluctuate with the market? GPs have a maximum amount they can bill daily, so it's not like you can simply work harder to earn more money.

[JohnN]

Recent CBC news item appears to be a reasonable summary of the doctor-supply issue, with links to related UBC study: https://www.cbc.ca/n...rcher-1.5068894

[Victoria Watcher]

so dollarama sells a whole range of reading glasses for $1.50 each. $1.50. before you could buy readers at a dollar store why did we put up with paying high prices for prescription reading glasses?

 

 

 

and when will the roof fall in on the hearing aid scam?  there is no possible way that my hearing aids are anywhere near worth $3k when i can buy 10 android phones for that price.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 January 2020 - 12:07 PM.

[DustMagnet]

and when will the roof fall in on the hearing aid scam?  there is no possible way that my hearing aids are anywhere near worth $3k when i can buy 10 android phones for that price.

 

But only 3 iPhones.   
 

I wonder if these route everything you hear back to China?    https://www.aliexpre...xt=hearing aids

[JohnN]

so dollarama sells a whole range of reading glasses for $1.50 each. $1.50. before you could buy readers at a dollar store why did we put up with paying high prices for prescription reading glasses?

 

screenshot-twitter.com-2020.01.13-15_03_52.png

 

 

and when will the roof fall in on the hearing aid scam?  there is no possible way that my hearing aids are anywhere near worth $3k when i can buy 10 android phones for that price.

Sure, if you try them on and are satisfied that the Dollarama glasses work for you, no problem. However, if they don't, then it might be useful to check out prescription readers, like if one eye has significantly different lens power or you have astigmatism, etc. Obviously, if the employer medical plan pays for the prescription glasses, that might figure into the decision too. 

I recall from early 1960s, Technocracy Vancouver Island were railing against the eyeglass capitalists who charged way too much for prescription eyeglasses. Well, Technocracy is gone but those expensive specs are around - and even more expensive if you don't have an employer plan.

[Victoria Watcher]

oh ya we had an office around here somewhere.  i'm going to say it was on douglas maybe near kings rd.  i remember that ying yang logo. that also looked like the safeway logo.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 January 2020 - 02:59 PM.

[Rob Randall]

Bonus new ambulance service ad:

 

 

 

[Victoria Watcher]

i can't quite read the ad does it say hillside ave.?  1300 block?

 

oh never mind that's a meeting at norway house.

 

i still seem to recall an office somewhere.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 January 2020 - 04:18 PM.