Presidential address, 1995. Surgery 2000: a look back to the future.
The present demoralized state of Canadian surgery is due to a number of short-term influences. They include financial restraints, the desire of government agencies to off-load blame for unpopular decisions onto doctors and altered public expectations. The major long-term challenge will be a shortage of physicians and a severe shortage of general surgeons because of the superimposition of longer-term trends in medical demographics on short-term political reactions to a perceived oversupply of doctors. General surgeons need to identify the significant, long-term threats and challenges. If they can do this and plan their responses knowledgably, with some measure of altruism, the future in general surgery will be a bright one for present and future residents and medical students.
Heughan
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Department of Surgery, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld.
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002170:Canada; D002321:Career Choice; D005544:Forecasting; D013502:General Surgery / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data