Joan Beck`s March 11 editorial on ”medical economics” represents common misconceptions about medicine today and the plight of future physicians. As a medical student, I am well aware of the impact of economics on my life: the average educational debt with accrued interest for students in my class (1988) is projected to be $248,510.
Factoring in the anticipated costs of raising one child and buying an
”average” home after graduation, I will be completely debt-free by the time I am 65 years old, based on projected average income for physicians in my generation.
In the face of a projected oversupply of physicians and almost a quarter of a million dollars in educational debt, today`s medical students must have a sincere dedication to the art and science of medicine.
