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Lobbying for more neurosurgeons Greg Sterling correctly points out that to persuade surgical resident to take up functional neurosurgery will take several years, by which times he would hope that he causes will have been discovered and cures developed. In any event, he prefers almost anything to surgery. Bob Fink says the authorities are actually calling for a shrinkage in the number of neurosurgical residents and are cutting back funding. He says the major metropolitan areasare well served but it's the outlying areas that suffer. Lang and Lozano in their NEJM review article (Oct. 98) pint out that by 2040 neurodgenerative diseases will surpass cancer as the number two killer the year 2040 is well within the practice life of a person entering neurosurgery today. I fear the authorities are being typically short-sighted in cutting back to number of residencies. What will they do when a real shortage develops? Anecdotal evidence (my own case) 1. My med cost has declined by C$12,000 per annnum 2. My incarceration in a long - term care facility ha been postponed indefinitely 3. My quality of life has increased markedly 4. The net present value of the med cost savings is C$63,000. Other saving would at least double that. 5. Persuasive, huh?! Cheers, Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert A. Fink, M. D." <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2000 2:36 PM Subject: Re: Lobbying for more neurosurgeons > Send reply to: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network <[log in to unmask]> > From: William Harshaw <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Lobbying for more neurosurgeons > To: [log in to unmask] > Date sent: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 13:25:42 -0500 > > > Is there no esponse to my idea that the most bang for the buck will come > > from neurosurgery as palliative therapy for Parkinson's Disease? > > > > If I am wrong, would someone please tell me! > > > > Cheers, > > > > Bill > > > > According to most statistics, there are already too many > neurosurgeons in the United States. The Government has been > pressuring our organization to decrease the number of training slots > available and we have been forced to do so (the grant money has been > cut). Thus, one can look forward to a smaller number of us in the > future (there are about 3500 of us in the United States and Canada). > > While there appears to be an "excess", this excess is in the larger > cities and the more desirable areas; in the semi-rural areas, there is a > shortage. > > > Best, > > Bob > > > ********************************************** > Robert A. Fink, M. D., F.A.C.S., P. C. > 2500 Milvia Street Suite 222 > Berkeley, California 94704-2636 > Telephone: 510-849-2555 FAX: 510-849-2557 > WWW: http://www.dovecom.com/rafink/ > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > "Ex Tristitia Virtus" > > ********************************************* >