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Originally Posted by frostfire
I’m still convinced proliferation of “tiger mom” mentality with “it takes a village “ carrot n stick approach can yield good result. Case in point, I was working in an ER when a doctor told a patient n his mom that he should focus towards stem/ healthcare vs play ball. He seemed to make a good impression on the kid who frequently came (a sickle cell patient) n interacted w the kind doctor
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Yes, indeed ! Good discussion.
And, like your doctor example above - mentors (formal or informal) - are often quite valuable in both - recruitment and support - while a protege or two is preparing, applying and actually attending a given selective program. We could perhaps use more mentors in our difficult - but needed professions...
Recall, this conversation began with a mention of (1) a wake up call - and (2) the BILLIONS and BILLIONS that were essentially wasted on Obamacare...a largely illusory promise...
A deceptive promise that created not one additional needed healthcare provider versus the alternative...investing those same BILLIONS (that’s a lot of carrots - but does seem somewhat trivial in this new age of .GOV spending trillions) and yes INVEST them in the creation of actual medical professionals...there may even be an additional cultural development that fit into this discussion... the proliferation of gender/multicultural studies departments took money and resources away from universities, that’s for another discussion...lol, ever get “treated” by a gender studies major?
Anyway...but, what if we combine mentors, recruitment, resources and a cultural push for additional healthcare providers with those resources providing scholarships (and perhaps bonuses paid) for successful completion of various healthcare related degree programs, OTJ training, required public service for something like 2 years at underserved urban or rural settings in exchange for the scholarship...creating a win/win investment. Students win a valuable career - society wins more needed actual healthcare professionals. The nation/taxpayers might actually receive something valuable for their tax money.
Where’d we be if we had done this in 2009 ?
Ok, even if university nursing school and medical school programs could only find/add 3-5 seats per school, per year, on .GOV scholarship since 2009...and recall, there are currently more applications than acceptances for many of those programs...Hell, I knew kids who went overseas for med school who are now VERY successful medical practitioners or medical researchers. Bring those students back here. Provide ‘em a .Gov scholarship in exchange for mandatory service in underserved communities (and then if you need to sweeten the pot - pay-’em a cash bonus upon successful completion). As a taxpayer...do you want actual doctors and nurses and clinics or do you want web sites, exchanges and bureaucrats?
I know what I want. Anyway, this has been an interesting discussion...essentially it is a long, difficult process to create certain professionals...it always has been...it always will be. Oh, and try to minimize being ”treated” by those prolific gender studies majors.