Informed Consent: The U.S. Medical Education System Explained

If you are considering a career in medicine or currently in training, you need to read this book.

Not long ago I posted a short blog entry about Dr. Benjamin Brown and his controversial analysis of physician income.  At the time, Dr. Brown's blog had around 200 comments.  As of today, over 320 comments have been posted and more seem to come by the hour.

Why the incredible interest in this topic?

Well, for one, we're in a recession and the general public still considers physicians "rich."  For someone to have the nerve to insinuate that not all physicians are wealthy and some are actually underpaid is to cut across the grain of conventional thinking at a time when thinking conventionally is very popular.

The other reason is that I have never seen an analysis of physician income like the one Dr. Brown posted on his site.  It is well done and interesting, and physicians should take the time to read through his material.

Based on the comments, it appears that many physicians are reading this information which tells me that no one else has seen an analysis like the one Dr. Brown has produced.  Unfortunately, something as important as a basic analysis of the financial implications of a career in medicine is not coming from our academic medical establishment, but from a surgery resident who compiled the data in his spare time.  

Go figure.

Well, the good news is that Dr. Brown's book, Informed Consent: The U.S. Medical Education System Explained is now available.  If you're interested, you can check out the book's website and either download a copy to your Kindle or iPad, or order the paperback.

I downloaded a copy for the Kindle ap on my iPad, and have really been enjoying it.  While much of the book is tailored for a young person considering a career in medicine, even physicians out of training will enjoy reading the sections on physician income and the high costs of medical education.

Dr. Benjamin Brown, author of Informed ConsentI recommend this book to any young person considering a healthcare career, any medical student or resident, and any physician who is out in practice and having a difficult time explaining to friends and relatives the true financial implications of being a physician.  

Many thanks to Dr. Brown for his timely piece.  We at Freelance MD wish him continued success in his medical education.