Alberta government cuts number of medical students

[Dang]

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/techn...245/story.html

Fewer new students will be accepted into the University of Alberta's medical school next September because of recent budget cuts, the faculty's dean says.

These cuts affect University of Calgary's medical school too. The article says UofA could be cutting 50 seats and rumours have it that UofC might cut 50 as well. Given the shortage in doctors and the growing and aging population, what does everyone think about this? Maybe Ed Stelmach thinks it's okay to wait months to see a specialist or to wait for hours in emergency.

[Azure]

Absolutely horrible idea. Someone please kick the conservatives in the balls for me.

We need MORE medical doctors, not less. And having them go to school in Alberta means they might STAY in Alberta, considering they're here for 7 some years.

Gawd.

[Komskies]

Restricting admission into medical school seems like the logical thing to do when there is already a shortage of medical professionals.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Meh...........it's going to be difficult times until all the baby boomers die.

[Muta]

For once, it'd be nice to hear some good news these days instead of all the education / health care / cutting this / cutting that / deficits. It's all so damn depressing.

This would be a cool headline:

"Alberta Government Increases Funding, Medical Schools Prepare to Increase Number of Seats"

or

"Alberta Government Signs Bill to Lower Tuition Rates for Undergraduate and Graduate Students"

I wish.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Brutal news. My nursing friends are already complaining that some of the cuts that are coming down the pipe would severly impede their job performance. Also, it seems it is almost an impossibility for nurses to take vacation days these days because they are so short of staff.

[Canada 02]

having taught at three different medical schools, getting rid of the bottom 25% of the students is not a bad thing

[Suave]

Wow a 50 person cut would be huge. The program just expanded back in 2007 to 135, back in 2000 there were only 70 positions. Hopefully the actual cuts are not that bad.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

Brutal news. My nursing friends are already complaining that some of the cuts that are coming down the pipe would severly impede their job performance. Also, it seems it is almost an impossibility for nurses to take vacation days these days because they are so short of staff.

That is a completely different thing, no?

Nursing you can take almost anywhere. This is medical school we're talking about.

[wooohooo]

Just out of curiosity, what do you do Canada 02? Are you a medical doctor?

I don't understand why they're cutting back so much. Seeing a Doctor is already hard enough. I was in the ER this weekend and it was a 3-4 hour wait. I don't even have a family doctor because no one is accepting patients. It's a little ridiculous. However, I do think doctors are overpaid, and even with a 10% decrease in salary this could allows us to afford more doctors. They can still afford their BMW's and million dollar homes.

There's also a problem with nurses too. I talked to a lot of nursing students and they're all having an extremely hard time finding a job. Something to do with a hiring freeze.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by Azure

That is a completely different thing, no?

Nursing you can take almost anywhere. This is medical school we're talking about.

I assume the cuts would follow nursing students as well, since both professions are linked.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

There's also a problem with nurses too. I talked to a lot of nursing students and they're all having an extremely hard time finding a job. Something to do with a hiring freeze.

Yeah, nurses can't find a job, but there are no funds to hire them. And hospitals are severely understaffed to a point where they're declining vacations to nurses who apply 6 months in advance. One of my nursing friend is thinking of taking a leave of absence because she feels overworked.

Also, I've been told nurses aren't getting raises for the next 3 years...and the union negotiations are coming up soon. I wouldn't be surprise if another strike occurs.

[mikey_the_redneck]

For what nurses get paid..........they should be worked hard.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

For what nurses get paid..........they should be worked hard.

Yep. I agree.

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

For what nurses get paid..........they should be worked hard.

Seriously? If you factor in the amount of work and time they put in... I don't think they make that much. You should be looking at the Doctors first before the nurses.

I had a friend that took a few on-call shifts and each night he earns $900 and he's only in residency. Some of the specialists earn over $500 000, but granted these guys work their asses off.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Just out of curiosity, what do you do Canada 02? Are you a medical doctor?

I don't understand why they're cutting back so much. Seeing a Doctor is already hard enough. I was in the ER this weekend and it was a 3-4 hour wait. I don't even have a family doctor because no one is accepting patients. It's a little ridiculous. However, I do think doctors are overpaid, and even with a 10% decrease in salary this could allows us to afford more doctors. They can still afford their BMW's and million dollar homes.

There's also a problem with nurses too. I talked to a lot of nursing students and they're all having an extremely hard time finding a job. Something to do with a hiring freeze.

Yes, pay them less - that will result in shorter waiting time... USSR tried paying doctors 90 rubles/month (about 1/3-1/2 of what an engineer made). That worked out well...

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Yes, pay them less - that will result in shorter waiting time... USSR tried paying doctors 90 rubles/month (about 1/3-1/2 of what an engineer made). That worked out well...

I'm not saying make it so they can't even afford to feed their family. But a slight decrease in pay. Most of these guys make way too much. My family and most of my friends are Doctors or in med school and even talking to these guys, getting a slight reduction would not stop them from working.

[mykalberta]

Alberta has some of the shortest wait times in the country.

We can always snipe doctors from other provinces and countries with higher wages anyways.

[wooohooo]

I think that's because Alberta pays their Physician's more than other provinces.

My Uncle is a family doc. in BC and there's a cap to how many patients he can see a day but in AB I don't believe there's a cap.... or it's much higher.

[yads]

Misleading thread title to say the least. The Alberta government cuts university budget is not the same as The Alberta government cuts medical spots. Sounds like a lot of spin by the universities in order to get tuition hikes approved.