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How dermatology became the 'it' job in medicine

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47 points bookofjoe | 2 comments | 18 Nov 24 12:56 UTC | HN request time: 0.4s | source
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kittikitti ◴[18 Nov 24 14:36 UTC] No.42172608[source]▶
Isn't this disconnected from the reality of medical school competitiveness that is, at least on paper, supposed to filter students who are not going to use their highly sought after education and resources for largely clerical jobs? What's the point of the American Medical Association restricting new medical schools and artificially constricting the number of medical students when the top of their field is to service patients with elective treatments?
replies(1): >>42174786 #
nradov ◴[18 Nov 24 17:38 UTC] No.42174786[source]▶
The AMA has no power to restrict new medical schools or restrict the number of medical students. They aren't an accreditation or licensing agency. Several new medical schools have opened in the past few years.

https://lcme.org/directory/accredited-u-s-programs/

At one point the AMA did lobby Congress to restrict the number of residency slots but they long since reversed that position and now lobby for an expansion.

https://savegme.org/

replies(2): >>42176100 #>>42178340 #
1. kittikitti ◴[18 Nov 24 23:26 UTC] No.42178340[source]▶
Doesn't the AMA administer the MCAT and facilitate the applications for not just medical schools but also residencies for Dermatology? I think excluding that while including that they're not literally the organization that does accreditation and licensing is misleading.

They're one of the largest lobbying groups in America with disastrous consequences. They have a consistent history of empty promises, including their rhetoric on expansion which hasn't been successful despite the years they've had and the political leverage during the national health emergency. https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-lobbyist-groups/

Here's a differing opinion from yours where "The American Medical Association (AMA) bears substantial responsibility for the policies that led to physician shortages". https://blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2022/03/15/ama-scope...

I hear about how wealthy and powerful the medical community is yet they shift the blame at every opportunity. I hope medical schools require students have a spine too.

replies(1): >>42179964 #
2. nradov ◴[19 Nov 24 03:52 UTC] No.42179964[source]▶
No, the AMA doesn't administer the MCAT nor does it facilitate the residency match program. Those are administered by the AAMC and NRMP, respectively.

It's always disappointing to see this kind of lazy, low-effort comment on HN. This is all public information that you could easily find if you bother to look.