[jlcgull]

You Sir, are a disgrace to the entire healthcare community. Hope you never manage to take the Hippocratic Oath as you will be breaking it at every chance you get. Enjoy your career as scumbag-of-a-doctor.

Yes, that is my opinion alone, but I do hold it strongly.

[endtime]

I don't know what the guy you replied to was going on about with respect to Microsoft, but...seriously? He's a scumbag because he doesn't want to work for free? Do you perform your profession for free?

[dagw]

I do, on occasions. I have, for example, helped a small local museum with their website for free. I've also helped a couple of volunteer groups with setting up computers. And, if in the future, a group I feel is worthy of help, but cannot afford to pay me, asks me to do something which I have the time and skills to handle I'll probably give then a hand.

[mkramlich]

The difference between our profession and the medical profession however is that, unlike ours, software development, whose skills can be acquired at basically no significant cash cost (other than a cheap desktop PC), many doctors have to begin their careers with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, assuming they could afford it at all even with loans. I don't think we should begrudge medical folks for wanting to be paid, and paid well, as long as that is not the only thing they are in it for.

[keenerd]

What is the difference between the medical profession and the legal services profession? It is just as pricey to become a lawyer. Yet even lawyers have the concept of "pro bono".

[mkramlich]

True. Perhaps it's because medical school is harder than law school. Or perhaps because if a doctor gives free medical advice, and something goes wrong, someone could die and he get sued. If a lawyer gives bad advice, the typical downside is not as bad, plus, a lawyer is less afraid of getting sued since he can defend it against better, cheaper, more efficiently. Just brainstorming aloud.

[Locke1689]

What makes you think doctors don't work pro bono at times? Both my parents are physicians and I know they sometimes volunteer their medical services for no cost. Even hospitals sometimes volunteer resources but physical goods aren't free or cheap.

[jlcgull]

Médecins Sans Frontières. <<eof

fwiw: working as a professional (in any field) does not make you a scumbag. but justifying personal material gain by belittling professionals who volunteer their time and skill for free, is obnoxious at best and the very scum of this earth at worst.