Can social media prepare you for medical school? Who are the highest paid doctors? How are medical schools adapting their curriculum to fight the opioid epidemic? Is social media a good tool for learning about medicine? Let’s take a look at these stories and more in our roundup of medical news. Highest paid doctors We know that the vast majority of doctors are not in it for the money. Most people who become doctors have wanted to do so since they were kids, way before they even knew the value of a dollar. It’s about the job itself and work you do. That said, it’s important to know how much particular specialities pay, especially when you think about your future and paying off student debt. New research shows that the most highly compensated new doctors this past year were invasive cardiologists, many of whom were offered a salary of $545K to start. Some even earn as much as $700K. Also in demands are psychiatrists. As one expert explains, “There currently are some 28,500 psychiatrists in active patient care in the U.S., 60% of whom are 55 years old or older, with many set to retire.” Drug epidemic America’s opioid problem is reaching epidemic proportions in many parts of the country, and young doctors are going to be the foot soldiers on the frontlines, working to reduce abuse and save lives. Some medical schools have drastically revamped their curriculum in recent years to require more hours spent learning about addiction medicine: how to recognize addiction in patients and how to help them. “We’re at the very bottom of a very long uphill road,” said one professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. What makes this such a breakthrough is that for many years, doctors saw drug abuse more as a personal vice than a public health issue. Honoring donations Donating your body to science and medicine is an incredibly selfless act—and one that may directly benefit their next of kin. But these donations also help medical schools and researchers learn and save lives. Tasha Jetson, whose 18-year-old son Ryan donated his body to Indiana University Northwest’s Cadaver Prosection Program, said of Ryan: “He wanted you to know that you matter. Even the doctors who treated him say that he made them better doctors. I want you to love what you do and never lose that fire you have to be a doctor. I know he lives on through everyone who knows his story.” A recent ceremony at the school allowed families of donors to meet with the medical students and doctors who have learned from their loved ones. Doctors on social media From Twitter to Facebook—you probably use all sorts of social media to keep in touch with your friends and to make new friends. You might want to consider turning to it to learn more about the field of medicine as well. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram are used by many doctors who share their experiences—sometimes in the form of photos of cases they’re working on, sometimes as memes. As one medical school student who follows doctors on social media says, “I think some of it is educational. I think some of it is more interesting. And some of it is things that I don’t want to do.” On the other hand, Dr. Catherine Lucey at the University of California—San Francisco School of Medicine cautions, “The internet might be a good place to get started, but it’s rarely the place to sort of finish up all of your work in terms of understanding what it means to be a doctor.” Do you want professional social media pages for yourself or your private practice? check this topic: Social Media Marketing For Doctors and Clinics Source
