Information

Alright, if ya'll know me I'd rather watch Top Chef than do my homework but sometimes I'll get it together.  We had a reading assignment before the tour, The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T.R. Reid.  I highly recommend reading this book.  It will answer a lot of questions but if you want some information now, watch this Frontline report, read this Washington Post article and check out this chart.


Highlights: 
1) We spend more on health care than any other industrialized nation (15-17% of our GDP) and get the least return on our dollar.
2) We are the only industrialized nation that doesn't offer universal health care.
3) We have the only purely socialized version of health care in the world in the form of our veteran care.
4) We have the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world: "The Infant mortality rate, the rate of deaths per 1,000 live births, remains higher in the U.S. than in most other developed nations. The infant mortality rate in Japan is 2.8. The infant mortality rate in Germany is 3.9. The infant mortality rate in Switzerland is 4.2. The infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom is 5.1. The infant mortality rate in the United States is 6.8."
5) More people die in the US from curable diseases such as lupus and untreated cancers than in any other developed country.  

After getting somewhat informed, I still had questions: what will work for America?  Do we really want universal health care?  If it is really beneficial for everyone AND cost saving for the nation, why are people fighting it from happening?

Seacouver

I was sitting in class one day and I thought to myself, "you know, as a future health care professional I should really figure out the mess that is the American health care system."  I had many questions... What are these people talking about?!  What is single payer? Is a universal health care system feasible?  Is it even a good idea?  Does everyone really deserve access to health care?  Who should pay for health care? Am I biased about the situation?  If I'm biased, does that mean what I'm thinking is wrong?  Am I being led to the slaughter? Am I leading myself to the slaughter?...and not enough information.  The familiar feeling of confusion and the overwhelming desire to curl up on a couch with a fluffy blanket and a big bowl of carbohydrates began to set in.  Where was I even going to begin to figure this one out?

The clouds of confusion began to part and a ray of potential understanding shone down on me in the form of an e-mail about a study tour with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). I jumped at the opportunity.

SeaCouver is a five day program taking place in both Seattle and Vancouver. This study tour aims to educate health professional students on the intricacies of the US and Canadian health care systems going beyond basic facts to delve into the core of the systems and their impact on patients, families, and communities. Participants travel to some of the premiere medical institutions in both countries including the University of Washington and the University of British Columbia hearing from experts in the field and discussing policy. Participants will also visit hospitals and clinics to witness health care firsthand and will later dine with the local physicians and health professional students to informally discuss their opinions on health care. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Seacouver is the opportunity to interview pedestrians on the street in both Vancouver and Seattle to hear firsthand how their lives have been affected by illness and the health care system, and also their perceptions of the two systems.

My experiences on this study tour were illuminating.  I'm collecting related stuffs and thoughts in this blog!