Physicians Advise US President
LocumTenens.com received more than 1,400 responses to a short online physician
survey the firm conducted just before Election Day 2008 regarding priorities
for the incoming U.S. president.
Some respondents were philosophical, offering familiar quotations like, "Rome
wasn't built in a day," or "Focus your time on what matters and make the
country better one issue at a time." Others offered humor, like the doc who
said, "If you had any sense you'd quit," or the psychiatrist from Florida who
suggested, "Lots of phone therapy with me. First ten hours pro bono."
However, most physicians responding to our October 2008 survey had many of the
serious issues confronting our country on their minds as the presidential
election drew near.
In our two-question, online survey we first asked physicians to select what they
thought was the top issue the incoming president should address in his first
year in office. Not surprisingly, even before the tsunami of U.S. corporate
layoff announcements began, more than two-thirds of respondents identified the
"U.S. economy" as the most pressing year-one issue.
However, in response to our open-ended question asking for their advice
regarding the new president's first 100 days in office, physicians offered
comments about many concerns. Moreover, like many other Americans, many
physicians see the major policy issues as interdependent in preparing the
United States to better compete in the new global economy.
Energy, Economy, Experts
Probably because gas prices were heading toward an all-time high in the weeks
leading up to the election, survey respondents offered considerable advice
related to energy policy. A number of physicians suggested that continuing to
depend upon foreign oil would mean our downfall through suggestions like,
"Create a superagency like NASA to get us energy independent," and "Move to
energy independence ASAP. Begin a major move to build nuclear capability, along
with wind, solar, hydroelectric, etc…"
A number of physicians saw energy and economic policy as one critical area of
focus for the incoming president, who we now know to be President Barack Obama.
"USA should regain its preeminent status in the
global economy and manufacturing industry. This will happen only if we embark
upon gaining energy independence from foreign oil," a Michigan-based general
surgeon advised. "We should start developing all viable sources of alternative
energy. This should be on the same level as the 'Manhattan project'."
Several physicians also suggested forming non-partisan task forces of experts in
their respective fields to develop recommendations for tackling major issues
like the economy, energy policy, healthcare reform and foreign policy. "Set a
90-day limit to have each task force to come up with a step-by-step
implementation plan," a Connecticut psychiatrist suggested.
For highlights of physicians' advice by specialty, please visit our
Anesthesiology, Psychiatry,
Radiology, and Surgery Career Centers.
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