Let’s increase the number of medical schools to fix the physician shortage – The Virginian-Pilot

Medical schools

Re “Dwindling number of physicians puts health care at risk” (Other Views, July 1): Dr. Bob Newman’s opinion piece is right on target. We are short of physicians in general and especially in family practice. There are two major reasons for this shortfall. The first is financial remuneration. A recent survey by Medscape highlights the stark difference in compensation: A plastic surgeon’s average annual salary is $610,000. An emergency room physician gets paid an average of $352,000, and a family practitioner gets paid $255,000 annually.

The second reason is competition. Today there are just 155 medical schools to educate physicians for 332 million Americans. Physicians historically have been afraid of too many physicians in their state. In the 1980s, the Texas Medical Board disapproved proposals by universities to start new medical schools. As our nation’s population continues to grow, we will need many more new medical schools to produce high-quality physicians to meet the demands of our country.

Talbot N. Vivian, DHA, LFACHE, Yorktown

Crocodile tears

The Supreme Court’s decision that the president cannot arbitrarily forgive college student loans at the expense of taxpayers was a correct one. But Democrats still cry foul, of course.

First off, the promise was made in the heat of a Democratic campaign. It was a campaign promise. Believe it at one’s own peril. Secondly, the Democrats benefited politically from the promise. But because it was hollow, it did not cost them or taxpayers a cent. Thirdly, President Joe Biden is using the loss as a way to negatively brand the court for doing the right thing. Fourth, the Democrats still have a political issue to run up the flagpole next year. A resolved issue, on the other hand, is soon forgotten.

That said, looking ahead to the next silly season, I paid my student loan off, and I don’t expect the guy who fixed my faucet to pay yours off.

Don Lovett, Smithfield

Reparations

I am befuddled by the African American folks expecting the government to pay them for the fact some of their ancestors were slaves. There were roughly 31.4 million people in the U.S. in 1860. That population included nearly 4 million slaves. If the remainder of the population each owned one slave, about 23 million people did not have slaves.

In 2021 the population of the U.S. was 332 million. Since the 1960s African Americans have benefitted from many government programs paid for by immigrants and non-slave owners. Due to these programs, African Americans now hold many positions in our society and proudly overcame many obstacles they faced.

But common sense dictates it is unfair for hundreds of millions of Americans to be charged taxes to pay for injustices created and ended 158 years ago. It is impossible to collect from the slave owners. It is also a fact that not all African Americans are descendent from slaves. Another fact, due to coexistence in the American melting pot, a lot of Americans are a mixture of the world’s people. A fact I was taught: The world owes you a living, but you have to be your collector.

Donald Lane, Chesapeake

RGGI

Re “Vote wisely” (Your Views, July 6): The letter writer supports the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and warns against voting Republicans into office. Well, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is correct in wanting Virginia out of this stupid idea. This is nothing but another liberal tax scheme.

Corporations do not, let me repeat, do not pay taxes. They pass along the cost to their customers. The business then sends the money to the state. This is a tax-and-spend liberal’s dream. So David Campbell is correct; vote carefully. Vote out tax-and-spend liberals.

Webb Lancaster, Virginia Beach