Unit 8. Medical Education and Health Care in the usa

Text:

Becoming a physician in the USA is very expensive because of extensive education and most students borrow money to pay for their schooling. Physicians receive numerous years of education before beginning practice. A four year bachelor’s degree and four years in medical school are followed by residency and internship lasting between three and eight years. Different specialties require more years of residency and internship than others.

Students are trained to make diagnoses, examine patients, and record medical histories in the first two years of medical school. Courses in psychology, anatomy, laws governing medicine, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, biochemistry, microbiology, and medical ethics are also studied.

Practical experience is given in the last two years of school where students work in clinics and hospitals with qualified physicians. They rotate working in pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, family practice, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. Students learn how to provide chronic, acute, rehabilitative, and preventative care. Completing rotations provides them with experience working in a variety of specialties. It also allows students to see and decide if they want to specialize in a certain area.

A one year internship is usually finished prior to beginning residency. Residencies typically take two to six years. A residency is paid training usually completed in a hospital following graduation from medical school.

To start the career in the US health care system new physicians must pass an examination for a state license. To be recognized as a specialist in a particular field, a physician must pass a special examination and become board-certified.

Only about a tenth of all physicians in the United States work in areas other than patient care, such as administration or research. The majority of the physicians who provide patient care have their own practices or are partners in group practices. Others work full time in hospitals.

The most prominent feature of the health care system in the USA is vast development of commercial health insurance. According to some data about 76% of Americans participate in commercial health insurance. Another 14% (they are elderly patients) are provided health care by the program called «Medicare». About 10% of Americans (the poorest part of the population) come under protection of «Medicaid» program. These are national programs and they are financed from the Federal budget.

Among the advantages of the American Health Care system one may mention:

• high-tech equipment

• qualified medical staff

• comfortable hospitals

• a great number of people who make use of the system.

Its drawbacks include:

• about 10-15% of Americans cannot afford buying health insurance

• growing expenditure on hospital administration

• a great amount of documentation

• overuse of technical devices.

New vocabulary:

1. to borrow money to pay for schooling – брать ссуду на оплату обучения

2. to rotate working in – чередовать работу в

3. to provide smb with experience working in – давать к-либо опыт работы в

4. a state license – государственная лицензия

5. to be recognized as a specialist – быть признанным в качестве специалиста

6. to become board-certified – стать сертифицированным специалистом

7. a prominent feature – выдающаяся черта

8. commercial health insurance – коммерческое страхование здоровья

9. private insurance companies – частные страховые компании

10. according to – согласно

11. to come under protection – находиться под защитой

12. advantages and drawbacks – преимущества и недостатки

13. growing expenditure – растущие расходы

14. overuse – чрезмерное использование

Answer the following questions:

1. Why is it very expensive to become a physician in the USA?

2. How long does it take an American to become a physician before beginning practice?

3. What are students trained in the first two years of medical school?

4. What courses are studied in medical schools?

5. Where is practical experience given for students?

6. Why is it helpful to students to rotate working in a variety of specialties?

7. Is an examination for a state license necessary for a physician?

8. How can you describe the health care system of the US?

9. What is its most prominent feature?

10. What national program does health care system provide to disabled people? to disadvantaged ones?

11. What are the advantages of the system?

12. What are its drawbacks?