Medical charges and the cold reality of surgeons of Korea

Article information

J Korean Med Assoc. 2018;61(11):638-642

Publication date (electronic) : 2018 November 20

doi : https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2018.61.11.638

Soo-Min Jung, MD

Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Soo-Min Jung. soomin.jung@samsung.com

Received 2018 November 09; Accepted 2018 November 09.

Abstract

Surgery is a very hands-on area of medical care, in that surgeons identify problems in patients' bodies and directly change them through operations. Therefore, it is not only necessary for surgeons to have a high level of expertise, but also to take considerable responsibility for the outcomes of each operation. However, surgery, which was once an object of envy, has long been a process to avoid, due to various circumstances, such as abnormal medical expenses in the medical field and social phenomena that avoids difficult work. It is unfortunate that medical professionals do not receive sympathy from others within the same medical field because of the general difficulties of the profession. The fundamental problem in this situation is the abnormal profit structure of the Korean medical system. Efforts by various related organizations will be needed to objectively evaluate the problems of the current medical insurance system and to make reasonable adjustments considering the difficulty, frequency, and resource-intensiveness of medical care.

Keywords: Surgery; Surgeons; Fees, medical; Insurance; Diagnosis-related groups

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Article information Continued

Korean Medical Association

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