I’ve been hearing a lot about these quick-stop clinics staffed by nurse practitioners. I hear about them in the news or read about them online. They seem to be on the east coast or midwest. Or maybe I’m just not paying any attention to them here locally.

As someone going into a medical career, this is somewhat discouraging. I don’t see how a family physician can compete against an NP based solely on costs. It seems like the scope of nursing just keeps getting expanded more and more. I’m sure the nurses are elated about this. And their paychecks continue to rise as they get more specialized.

I don’t think we need to go back to the days were the doctors were kings of their wards and nurses stood whenever one came in the room. But I do think that scope of practice of nurses and doctors cannot overlap too much. Because let’s face it, the nurses will always be able to offer their services at lower costs. And, more often than not, they (nurses) have less debt coming out of school.

Amy from RNCentral.com sent me this post titled 20 Surprising Ways Wal-Mart Clinics Will Affect US Healthcare. It’s a good read discussing the pros and cons of Wal-Mart entering the health service industry by opening up clinics at their stores.

Last year CNN ran an article written by Emily Breidbart, then a second year medical student. It’s an interesting read. At times I do feel that it is a struggle to protect my own idealism. But maybe she is doing a better job than I. Because I’ll admit, at times I find myself downright cynical — even comically cynical. But that’s another story. Anyways, in her article, Emily writes about how her curriculum, at times, seems to revolve around preventing lawsuits than the patient’s health.

Fortunately, this hasn’t been the case for me at my school during my first year. I think there has been the occasional mention of the litigious nature of the profession. And I think we (as students) have all heard plenty of stories about it. So it isn’t like we are ignoring malpractice. I’d say that they, and by they I mean the professors who teach us, choose to focus on the patient.

Who knows? Maybe one day Loma Linda’s curriculum will have to change. Maybe someday they will have to place the fear of litigation into the heart of every incoming first year. I hope not, though. Because a society in which doctors are afraid to treat patients is a society in trouble.

Oh, and check out Emily’s article “Med student struggles to preserve her idealism” over at CNN.com.