Check out the sequel video, reacting to Dr G's portrayal of the family medicine residency interview: ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html Here I discuss how the public can help support family medicine, and also feature a cameo from Jonathan!
I was a "Jonathan" (RN) for 14 years for a family practice physician. I used to say " Doctor has hundreds of patients, but I have only one.... the doctor." I managed all prior authorizations, scheduled appointments of all kinds, triaged her paperwork, managed medication refills, triaged phone calls, did patient teaching, assisted with procedures, managed clinic inventory, medicines and vaccines. Those were my primary jobs.... I had plenty of others. She still spent long hours at work.
I did that for an internist for 18 yrs drew blood ran the labs ekgs vitals etc. I worked in a clinic before and after there I had several doc patients lol some nurse practitioners too
This. This. This. As a family doctor, I feel the pain and the passion. The medical system is against us… but we as family doctors are against a different enemy: chronic disease, mental health disorders, inequality, injustice, and the list goes on. We prevent disease, we stoop down to the level of our pediatric patients, we deliver babies, we meet the dying patient, we encourage the discouraged youth, we make afterhour courtesy calls, we squeeze that extra patient in who took 3 buses to see us, we write the disability forms for the ortho surgeons who operated because if we don’t, who will??? And we are hardly recognized for this work because it is “expected” of us to do so. Our love for humanity exceeds our disdain for the system that abuses us. Our passion for health is our fuel. Thank you for this video. It touched home.
Thank you for mentioning people who have travel hardships like the bus rider. So many times and in so many situations the effort of the bus rider is dismissed. While it does remove bad things like road rage and being on time, a bus ride can take out the whole day, including riding ten miles or more one way, and ten miles back, just to get to an appointment a 20-min. car trip away. (Uber is ALWAYS more expensive than a bus.)
I'm an American Family Medicine doctor who has just had to start therapy to cope with these things. Laughing along with Dr. G is absolutely how I cope. Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for your kind comment - I'm with you in this struggle! hang in there, the world needs us. Did you enjoy how dr G had given family medicine a Jonathan in his latest video? I had worked this in to my second reaction video a couple months earlier: ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html, great to see it actually come true!
TY 4 the amazing work you do. My Dr is highly thought of by myself and hopefully many others. Absolutely amazing. So smart and caring. She's easily extending my life. I'm proud of her for talking to my cardiologist because it was needed.
I’m writing on my boyfriends account. I just want you to know that I think about doctors in this country and about how difficult it must be to not be able to have a life work balance. I see this comment is from eight months ago. I want you to know that a lot of us normal folks and patients are with you and I feel like we need to fight For your rights and better work conditions. It amazes me sometimes that even doctors that work in hospitals are required to work insanely long hours as if there are computers it’s just not a smart move to force them into these scenarios which could make them make bad medical decisions when they’re tired just because they’re human. I know you said you’re a family medicine doctor so your hours might be different. But I don’t think that you guys should work so many hours at home. I’m really sorry this is happening. We need to change it together. Patients and medical professionals need to find a way to bring this up And to change it for now I just hope and pray that you are doing well. That you are keeping strong. And I want you to know that you are loved and appreciated. I am saying this while I’ve been discriminated for medical care because of a disability. The only reason I mention this is because I want you to understand that even while doctors have done me wrong, I still can see the difficulties that all doctors go through. And I still care about that and want it to change for you. So thanks for being there. Thanks for choosing this profession. Thank you so much for dealing with all of the difficulties that are put on your plate just to be there for your patients. Doctors need to think of ways to verbalize the needs and get people involved in making a change and figuring out how to make that change where it matters… In laws, the change the rules… The force changes in the insurance industry… We have to stop taking away the power from doctors or bombarding them with a bunch of tape just to get some thing done. You are not alone. I appreciate and love you I thank your soul for the work you chose to do. 🙏 gratitude🥰
I worked as a medical scribe in family medicine for two years, and I loved every minute of it even when we were SWAMPED, and the work I did allowed the providers i worked with to eat dinner with their family again. If it weren't for the pandemic and the absolutely GARBAGE wages, I'd still be doing it. But scribe companies charge healthcare workers incredible amounts of money only to paid their scribes as little as possible.
Omg a medical scribe is really a thing? How interesting! I assumed the title was actually assistant & Dr. G just used scribe because it was funnier lol Is it like a stenographer for medicine?
Kudos to Dr Yu for standing up for Family Medicine ! We forget how many hats they have to wear. Excellent video. Stand Tall and Be Counted. Ontario. Retired Reg N.🥰🥰
I... I charge more than that for an hour of virtual dog training. And it's dog training! I mean, I've put a lot of education and learning into my job, but no where near a doctor.
@@jeanetteraichel8299 sorry to hear you get 5 min with your family doctor. that's not the type of medicine that I or most of my colleagues practice, we give patients the time they need, regardless of how long it takes.
@@DrYanYu Why both tend to be very anti-UCP and supportive of each other. Public facing, giving professions, painted as greedy, lazy, and overpaid by the right.
Yeah, I burned out from teaching while still in grad school because I admin and I didn't see eye-to-eye on that 😂 Like no, there is nothing about this job worth doing for free.
I've often said that family doctors and PCPs are the backbone of every healthcare system. Yet they are the most underpaid and overworked. Thanks for your reaction, Dr. Yu.
You're such a wonderful doctor and an actually very kind and empathetic person. Psychologist here. Thank you for what you do!!! I will hug my primary care Doc next time I see him.
Genuinely got emotional watching this. Just thinking of what my own family doctor has done and how little exposure this issue has gotten. I hope this message reaches everyone.
I am a Family Nurse Practitioner. We experience the same. I love my parents however I am exhausted and have missed out on my son and grandkids lives. I am looking for a new career so I can pay off my student loans which I will have until I am 77 to unless I pick up the pace. Burned out at home sick with Covid today when I saw this. Thank you Dr. Your words are appreciated
Thanks for sharing, Brenda, and thanks for doing all the great work that you do. hang in there! we will persevere! Feel free to share this video with all those who may need a voice of support and appreciation!
Im a doctor in South Africa, qualified three years ago and currently doing my mandatory one year community service. Ive been placed in a small hospital where I basically work as a general physician. I have been horrified to discover that I might actually love family medicine. This video did not help😔 I just want to earn a bucketload of money working small hours treating non emergency things, like dermatology or ophthalmology, but I would hate it
Join us! We’re a brotherhood of people who love what we do in spite of the crap we put up with! If you have any questions, feel free to ask, though I will say my perspective is limited to the US.
Awesome in every way! Nice to see a Canadian physician finally standing up to the system! The world seems to have this illusion that all is good with our healthcare system. We need alot of reforms over here.
No country is a garden of eden. Sadly, there'll always be one lazy/bossy/generally unpleasant top brass guy that skims a little off the top for himself while pushing the unpleasant work, and, in my opinion, harder, on the poor guys below him. That's why I believe we can fight this through communication! Examine how well other countries do in a specific area and try to emulate them. I know this is easy to say and hard to do. That's why theoretical research is theoretical because it often focuses on a specific niche with experts whose entire job is to do years of research...and then to try and translate this into an easily digestible and practical model, but it can be done! Next time I go for a pre-surgical screening for my hammer toes (hopefully in another 25 yrs, but my CP's tone seems to get worse as I age), I dream of not being forced to wait for 2.5 hours only for three different departments to take 18-20 min asking me the same questions! LOL. Just talk to each other people! Hopefully, this made sense. I'm tired and can ramble on for hours about something I'm passionate about. Thank you for being the 1st Family Med Doc to react and spread the word!
That $38 is a shame. I'm in the US. Our internal med Dr had a Johnathan, & then one day he was gone. He didn't get replaced. On another note, a provider in the internal med group died from suicide last year. Some changes are desperately needed.
Agree, the $38 per visit forced many colleagues of mine to leave general practice. Feel sorry for your internal Med doctor! Hope they are looking after themselves!
I am a family doctor/ GP in France. We get a flat 25 euros for each visit, whether in the surgery or via telemedicine. Of course, med school is almost free here so we don't have loans to pay back, but even the 38 dollars would be an improvement for us here! Truth be told, I wouldn't change my practice for anything in the world, but your words ring true this side of the pond as well !! (Perhaps even more, the system here being the French administration, it's a beast of it's own!) It's nice to see that GP/family doctors around the world share the same passion !
As a fellow Canadian, thank you for your efforts sir. Your work is truly appreciated even though the governments of Canada often do not show enough appreciation. Thank you..
I often wonder what life would be like, had I pursued medicine as I originally intended back in undergraduate studies two and half decades ago (I ended up doing tech/engineering). Medicine is such a high-stress and high-demand career, and it's great to have caring, passionate, and resilient doctors like yourself. Dr. G's remark about cafeteria meal tickets for payment reminds me of the meal tickets from volunteering at Foothills Hospital! Thank you Dr. Yu for being *my* family doctor! I'll see you in a year for my check-up! 😉
You made the right choice. My husband was in the engineering field and we encouraged both of our kids to work in the field too. They have a great work life balance and make really good money. They also have so many career options!
Ophthalmologist here. This was the first reaction video I truly sat and watched it through. I feel the pain when you mention passion tax. I come from that part of the world where we had to work continuous 78h shifts during covid, unpaid. At one point we (ophtho, neuro and ent) were managing nearly 280 mucormycosis pts, in our wards, some of them having a exenteration POD of 200. The shortage of amphotericin was so much that we doctors had to deal with the shady grey markets ourselves to help the patients because the system at that point had just given up. We had to partially fill countless death certificates and keep them ready , even before the terminal pts was declared dead as there would be no time for documentation later. Horrible days.
I am so grateful to my family doctor. I have had her since I was born and she has been one of the strongest advocates for my mother, sister, and myself. She was the one who spotted my mental health problems, got me in contact with the specialists I needed, did the same for my sister, and even took on my grandmother when she had come to live with us. She even continued to see me when we moved to another city. She is the most wonderful, patient doctor I have ever met. She doesn't judge and has been so supportive of me. I genuinely would not be alive today without her. Family doctors around the world deserve to be recognized for their vital work and should be fully supported by healthcare systems, not battling them. As a Canadian myself, It is so important that we demand better from our politicians and government for our healthcare and everyone who works in it. Covid has done a real number on our system and we need to put in the time, effort, resources, and MONEY to get it back to what it was before. And even then, we should be striving to further improve it. Healthcare is a right that we need to constantly fight for and stop from becoming privatized, and apart of that fight is demanding better for our family doctors.
Uh moving to another city doesn't mean she would stop being your family doctor unless the move was an hour+ away. Then it would be wise to get a new GP.
@@benjaminsorenson Yeah, I moved to an entirely different region. I'm now 4 hours away. That is why I need a new GP. Trust me, if I was still within an hour's drive away I wouldn't have given her up.
I worked as an MA in family practice for years and then went on to be an instructor at the community college. I Loved family practice. You get to know your patients. You often treat 2 or 3 generations of familys. It's so much more intimate. But the workload is crazy! Being able to address almost everything that comes into the office leads to crazy days. I always did my best to do as much as I could for my provider so they could just concentrate on the patients. This is what I expressed to my students. A good medical assistant anticipates the dr.s needs and addresses patient needs and questions as often as possible. We are the support mechanism for the providers and the better job we do the better the job the docs can do!
Respect to everyone who practices family medicine. Over worked and under paid. The unsung heroes of medicine. Bless you guys. You deserve so much more.
I'm American, and I know the issue is awful here too. My doctor had to put a sign in her office explaining why she might be 10 minutes late to an appointment, because people genuinely don't understand how much a family medicine doctor has to do! I have been with my Dr. for almost 10 years now, and am so grateful for everything she's gotten me through. Figuring out how to bravest feed, while dealing with post-partum depression (my OB didn't do that!). Helping me when I was vomiting and in severe pain for over a year (the vomiting was a rare side effect of a medication, and the pain was chronic appendicitis), not to mention emailing with me when I didn't have insurance, so I could get antibiotics for a UTI. Thank you to all the doctors out there helping the general population understand these issues.
I work with physicians of all specialties here in the States and without question, Family Physicians are the backbone of medicine and are woefully under appreciated.
I love my Canadian family physician. He encourages me to live better and he's very inspirational. I’ve started exercising and drinking more water because of him. He doesn’t just focus on the problem at hand. He always has an eye on strengthening my body for the future. He also calls me at home to follow up when my husband or I have a serious condition. Much love to all our fantastic family physicians
I eventually left family medicine to re-specialise in palliative medicine. It was a long but wonderful and so satisfying journey. I recall everything you described - I found family practice beautiful too, highly rewarding and meaningful but …. so demoralising… and I often felt I was forced into martyr or victim roles, or super person heroic roles. It was never skilled enough to find a balanced role in family medicine. Burn out, sickness, family breakdowns plagued my colleagues, one after another they fell down. It took superhuman resiliency, much personal maturity, and a lovingly tolerant and forgiving family, to enable someone to thrive in this role. I wish you well and much political influence. Keep making these commentaries - maybe send to your local politicians and Health Dept Managers . I found a more humane ( for me) pathway and thrived. I hope you forge yours too.
I'm Australian - I've been with my GP (General Practice) doc for 23 years, and he bought the practice from my former GP when he retired - and I'd been with _him_ for 20-odd years! I have complex medical issues, and know for a fact that my GP has hit up a specialist socially, or at a doctor 'event' conference to get the latest information, or strategy. I know that he takes my finances into account when it comes to medication. And I know that he gave up having his own practice over 10 years ago, (working in a larger practice/group) because being his own boss was killing him. And I ways remember to poke fun at his football team, or congratulate him when they win (even though I don't follow the sport) and have been delighted with him when his grandchildren came along. He is priceless, and I have NEVER taken him for granted! Protect Family Medicine/GPs, fund and PAY them properly - and you'll keep people OUT of EDs! The system is breaking, and GPs are the bedrock that ALL governments, everywhere, take for granted.
I had a family medicine (GP here) move to Canada a few years ago and now moved back because he didn't like how the Canadian healthcare system treated him. It was good to hear that GPs are treated better here than other places around the world, especially sincey husband is currently studying to be a doctor (hasn't decided yet but GP is on the list). Australia for context
Australia seems to have an excellent primary care system. I really respect what The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners does for its members!
Recently added my doctor to the prayer list. Because undervalued and underappreciated in any career field is absurdity! Especially to ones that have answers every time a complaint gets told to them.
As a teacher, the "Passion Tax" rang a loud, clear gong of a bell. Please support your child's teacher and believe what they tell you, whether in a parent-teacher interview, or on a sign in a (we hope never) picket line. We love your kids too, and we want the very best for them.
I work in critical care in AB (not an MD) and I knew things were bad, but not THIS bad. OMG I will 100% thank my family doctor next time I see her. She is amazing. Thank YOU Dr. Yu, for all that you’ve done to support Albertans these past couple years, and really, since the Klein years. It’s all been downhill from there and we’ve never been able to recover.
Thanks for your comment... and for thanking your family doc! a lot of other commenters have asked me how people can support their family docs. I made another reaction video to Dr G to explain what else you can do: ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html
Family medicine doctors are some of the most important out there, in my medical professional opinion. All doctors are important, but you're absolutely right about family doctors being the people who tend to know their patients the best, which is why most other doctors always tell patients to follow up with their primary care physician! I was told recently by my PCP (after mentioning Dr. Glaucomflecken) that the fact that my hospital system has a monopoly on the area, more or less, makes it much easier than it usually is in places where there's lots and lots of independent doctors because medical records aren't as spread out in the area, which means less faxes asking for records. I can only imagine how it is in areas where there are lots and lots of independent doctors or different hospitals, even from a lab scientist standpoint. Getting paperwork from places that aren't in the database of my system is very frustrating, and that's just for lab tests. You all deserve a Jonathan.
I am a Mental Health RN. The “Passion Tax” family docs pay leads to burnout and other mental health concerns. Family docs need to be paid appropriately, we need more of them and they need better work/life balance. Family medicine is the bedrock of our health care system and without it??? Well I think the system will collapse. Could you do a video on how the public can advocate for more family physicians and better compensation?
Absolutely fantastic video. I'm a (soon to be) 4th year medical student who wants to specialize in Family Medicine. Thank you for your passion in describing why you love doing this work despite it's challenges. I'm so excited to be joining this important field!
I am a PA-C in urgent care in an area where FP is so swamped and has lost enough personnel that we are becoming a de facto secondary location for PCP patient complaints. Things are insane right now. We are all pitching in to try to work together but holy crap is it ever hard to stop having patients fall through the cracks.
I'm a medical transcriptionist in Canada and I know how hard doctors work. Tonight, on my shift I had to type a report from a resident who dictated the entire report while she was riding the train (LRT). I kid you not. I know it's stressful for doctors and there's not enough time in a day and you have to take work home, but please never ever dictate reports while riding on the public transit system because it is almost impossible for humans like me on the other end to type reports with complete accuracy. You know patients read those reports, right! .... btw ... transcribers hear all kinds of crazy stuff
My favorite Cardiologist was able to recall everything about me and the medication I took! Sadly he burned out with the medical group he worked with and left town! It's not just family medicine that's burning out!
Thanks for making this. I'm a US medical student considering family medicine. Funnily enough I spent a couple gap years being a Jonathan for an ophthalmologist!
nice to hear you're considering family medicine - don't let the threat of extra paperwork get you down - it is a worthwhile profession and the benefits are well worth the tradeoffs! and it is ripe for disruption and change, great place to be for innovators!
My husband’s an internist. He works 7 days a week in his office just to do paperwork, labs, prescriptions, calls to patients, and so much more. He also never takes a vacation.
Dr. Yu, I love you family doctors and it honestly moved me to tears thinking of what you go through for your patients. Huge respect. You all deserve your own Jonathans! Thanks for the video
Thank you for the kind comment! I made a sequel video to this one, which *spoiler alert* does include family medicine getting a Jonathan - check it out and let me know what you think! ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html
You’re such a passionate physician. I’ve watched numerous reaction videos by other doctors but your channel is one of the only I chose to subscribe to after watching… you really can tell that you care about your patients.
Thank you for being a part of our Canadian system. I had a fantastic family doctor for 30 years. He stopped practicing in 2020. Now more than 3 years later I still do not have a family doctor. I must pay to see a private one.
God bless you Dr (and all family care MDs, PAs and NPs) for your willingness, caring heart and the skill that goes along with it. Your commitment is evident in the way that you talk about your work. It's meaningful life work but it does take it's pound of flesh - you have to want to do it. Mad respect from this RN:)
My family medicine doctor delivered my son. I am forever grateful to him. He moved out of state and I cried. I miss him so much. Family medicine physicians are the absolute best. Thank you so much for your hard work and commitment to excellent care for your patients.
I can’t speak for Canada, but in the US, most of the extra tasks get dumped on nursing. We do daily chart prep, prior auths, refills, lab screening (only the abnormal labs go to the MD), in basket phone triage, some scheduling, patient rooming (now that there is a MA shortage), all of the teaching (medications, insulin pumps and sensors, etc, etc), medication and supply ordering, sometimes phlebotomy if there isn’t a lab in the building. We also take care of IT issues because it takes forever for someone to come and fix our technology. Oh, and now that virtual visits are common, we spend 30 minutes trying to connect a patient with their MD. Unfortunately, health care in our country is first and foremost...a business.
sorry to hear that nursing gets all the grunt work in the US. Healthcare systems should be able to automate the grunt work so that healthcare providers and focus on just looking after patients!
I know that my Family medicine doctor goes through all her labs for her patients herself; she also does prior authorizations and appeals with health insurance companies. She somehow also runs her practice, as the small business it is. It's a lot of work, and I'm not going to like getting a appointment can be a challenge but you spend my doctor for 30 years.
It's not all dumped on nursing. A good portion of that was dumped on medical assistants and unlike nurses, they are paid in peanuts, which is largely why there's such a shortage. I was studying to become an MA and in one of the highest cost areas in the country I'd be lucky to make $34,000. In most states you have to work 10 years to break $30,000 and many doctors have them do things they aren't qualified to do that nurses normally would do. It's a high stress job with many duties and expectations that is not adequately compensated. I'm sorry it's all being dumped on nurses now. You all have so much to deal with already. The medical system needs a massive overhaul.
@@maggie6152 You are correct. In the U,S., Medical Assistants work under the MD license That means MAs can do anything their doctor delegates to them (RNs and LPNs work under their own licenses). Because RNs are paid more, MAs are preferred and are expected to take on many RN duties. I have seen MAs doing phone triage which is way outside their scope of practice.
"It's tough cos we care." This is truly an eye opener. Compared to the reactions of other more "prestiged" fields of medicine, this requires way more attention.
My family doctor is so incredible that when I moved 3000+ km away, I kept her as my doctor. She has literally saved my life several times, she cares so much, I never mind when she runs late because I know she was taking the same time and consideration with the previous patient as I am going to get. ❤
Great video. In addition to reacting to Dr. Glaucomflecken's humor, I also love how you gave your valuable insight in regards to valid healthcare system problems. Dr. G has a talent for highlighting these issues in an engaging manner. I don't know why this video has gotten thrown an unfair amount of dislikes, but I'm thinking likely trolls and/or people with particular agendas. Here's an appropriate thumbs up coming your way 🙂
Great video! I love your perspective. I'm an Electronics Engineer, and I love my primary care physician. We both help keep the world going 'round, I wish their jobs were as supported as mine. Doctors are a valuable lot.
My husband and I have an amazing family doctor - we love her! Although I did have to teach her how to request a peer to peer with the insurance company denying me coverage for a needed medication. We have a mutually beneficial relationship since I've worked in the Healthcare space myself and am aware of how to deal with some of the bureaucracy.
I live in alberta and I have called 15 clinics to try and find a family doctor but so many folks left that every doctor is now full and not taking new patients. I will never feel okay with the alberta government continuously thanked our front line workers and then cut their funding and actively screwed them over behind the scenes. I am so appreciative of those of you who stayed and very understanding to those who left. Please know that many of us do not agree with our provinces crappy policies and I really hope you get to experience a change for the better in the future from that lense. Thank you for your incredibly hard work. ❤
I have seen quite a bit of reaction videos to Dr. Glauc because I have been a fan of his since the beginning! But I gotta say, I really liked yours the most. You actually appreciated his humour while also talking about the issues he brings up. I noticed a lot of doctors are analyzing every detail about their career field in comparison to his skits, but I liked how you seen the humour. Like you mentioned, the tone of voice, the glasses, etc.. I would really like to see another one!
Man, this is the status in Canada, too? I'm seeing the challenges that doctors pursue, and even though I felt like I could be a great Family Medicine doctor, I don't feel prepared deal with the workload. I commend all the docs for their machine-like efficiency!
Thank you for your video. I’m a GP in the UK and share all your sentiments. I love my job but It’s very sad how much “GP bashing “ we get from our hospital colleagues where we are unappreciated. Keep up the great work and passion 😊
Thanks for your comment Anna, and for the great work that you do. We get GP-bashing too. I hear you. hang in there! Feel free to share this video with all those who may need a voice of support and appreciation!
I have five children and need switching over to a general doctor office and they are a part of the local hospitals. They work hard with nurse visits as needed after care at home. It is very important for us to stay healthier as a whole family. Thank you so very much again for all your hard work and care. Meemaw out...
To get an idea of how bad our medical system is, my daughter is a patient advocate. She helps people who are very hurt/ill/elderly to manage the bureaucracy so they can get help. She finds them specialists, makes their appointments, organizes referrals, gathers their test results, designs sheets with medication lists and prior diagnoses and surgeries, and argues with pharmacies and insurance companies. She'll even drive people to appointments and assist with dr/patient communication. When the patient is too out of it to ask the right questions, remember what was said in the appt, or to understand medication instructions, she translates and streamlines it all so they don't miss anything important. A few doctors have gotten to know her and love it. She remembers details the patient forgets to bring up, raises concerns that the patient is too shy to talk about, and helps the doctor get through the appointment quickly. (Sad, but anything that saves the doc ten minutes is really helpful for them. They can also walk out of the room knowing that, even if the patient was confused, they won't be by the time she's done with them.) When you're too sick to fight your way through all of the paper to get help, that's when she swings into action. Now even patients need Johnathons.
i just lost my family doc. she was the only one taking my problems seriously and not just telling me i'm crazy or looking for attention. i'm pretty devastated because now i'm stuck with a really bitchy psychiatrist who isn't interested in helping. family medicine is so important...
I'll never forget a conversation I had with a doctor before I had to drop out of med school (ironically, my own health got in the way 🤦). I'd spent a day shadowing an oncologist and then interviewed him about how he chose his speciality, pros and cons etc. He'd actually started out as a general primary care specialist, but it was too stressful - dealing with literal cancer was easier. Especially since he, in general med, felt a constant pressure not to miss something. Because a tendency for migraines can be something that just requires a normal prescription, or it could be a sign of a horrible tumour that needs to be referred for specialist care ASAP. A teen with abdominal pain can be anxious, or having period cramps, or maybe their appendix just burst (I actually knew a girl who didn't realize she had appendicitis - her "normal" cramps were that bad, so she just... Finished her school day. With an appendix on the verge of bursting). It's such a huge responsibility, to be the first point of contact for so many. To know that almost none of your patients will have something disastrous going on, but also knowing that IF one of them does you have a fifteen minute consultation to realize it. In most other fields of medicine you at least usually know roughly where to start looking...
I will say I love my Family Doctor. Him and his NP are amazing taking teh time to listen not jsut to myself when i go in my for my kids. they both take time to get on thier level and speak with them. Its amazing.
Dear family medicine Drs, I never had a pediatrician even when the kids were infants. It was my family medicine Dr. Grammar school through the teen years. It was a small private practice. The office, the nurses and the doctor knew us. I can't tell you what that meant. They are grown now and we had to change Drs because of insurance and because he joined a local hospital group. The kindness and familiar comfort was gone. I understand it but I was sad. In any case, thank you, Family medicine. I'm grateful for your care. Probably should send a thank you note to my former Dr too.
I love his videos, too! Just to be clear, though, none of us therapists would ever recommend someone in Family Medicine find the Jonathan within themselves. I agree that this therapist is just symbolizing the system at large. We work alongside doctors and I absolutely fill out forms and write letters that the psychiatrist then signs off on, and have spent many an evening doing notes after work. Your schedules are busier than ours (not trying to claim otherwise), but we are with you on wanting patients to have the best care possible and that requires their providers to have access to resources, self care, a friggin' minute to eat a sandwich, etc! We're with you, doc!
I'm a Retired FP. I was a volunteer overseas 2002-2017. I came back to my 50 yr class reunion and I started to hear about "burnout". The rural hospital where I used to practice in Montana no longer does deliveries. Medicare now limits admissions to four days. There is talk they will be limited to one day, Essentially becoming rural Urgent Care clinics. I joined the Doximity platform. Everyone griped about the time they spend on electronic paperwork. Primary care physicians are quitting. 40% of the general Internal Medicine residents are becoming hospitalists. People are not going to get good longitudinal going to the Urgent Care clinics (they are just money are makers for Corporations). They will not get good care bouncing from one specialist and ER visit to another. I have a lot of empathy for Dr. Yu. I'm glad I'm retired. I have no children of my own but there are four boys named "Phillip" among my friends' and patients' offspring.
My GP works so hard and is so invested in his patients that I‘m always tempted to tell him to make sure he gets enough rest and not to worry about me. He does get Christmas presents from me.
I wanted to work in rural family practice as a PA, but I missed my interview by a few points on the GRE. Then some of my credits expired, and I was already fed up with having spent my life on a healthcare degree that ended up useless, I've since embraced my misanthropy and will cheer on the fam med bros from afar.
My son, at age 5, drew a picture for his family practice office wall. It was a picture of him giving "Nurse Sally" "72" shots, in retailiation which he figured was the number of shots nurse Sally had give him so he could start kindergarten. The shots took up several inches on the paper. Sally laughed so hard when she saw it. It took four staff members to hold down our little pickle so he could immunized for kinder - he gave her quite a time. It was on her office wall for years.
I just started scribing for a family medicine physician... and boy, oh boy.. they can get pretty swamped in the clinic. Although it can get pretty hectic, it does feel nice to contribute to my physicians ability to go home and be fully present with his family.... and not have to worry about his work.
Thanks for making this! As one of 1,000,000 people without a primary care physician in BC we need to show this to all levels of government while they're waiting in the ER for 9 hours waiting to get a UTI or similar diagnosed/treated! It's not even a case of more money per patient - the entire system needs an overhaul.
As an RN I self diagnose and treat……I don’t go to GP very often. My last GP died two years ago unexpectedly. I was to see him the next day…the Office Manager rang me and I was on the bus home after night duty……I was bawling as I was so upset. We had become friends and when I visited him we would talk about journal articles etc. that was two yrs ago and I still have a tear.
I'm just absolutely gobsmacked at how little doctors were paid for telephone appointments. I had to have so many appointments with my family doctor over the pandemic and I'm just pissed that the government took advantage of doctors like that. Absolutely criminal.
Thank you for trying to find time to do this video! Time like you say you do not have. Your comments and Dr Glaucomflecken's really resonate!! I am a family doctor and was told I could have a scribe but would have to see more patients. I think I will try it but will not commit to anything yet. LOL
WOW! What a fantastic person and a doctor!!! This actually got me tearing up, because all the kindness and caring which was pouring through. And the situation is terrible. Family doctors needs Jonathans! It would help great deal! Thank you so much for your awesome video!!!
Thank you for posting this video. You explained so much in detail that many of us mon med people don't know about. My primary care doc is the best, he's one of the only physicians who have taken me seriously and advocated for my health when others brushed me off. Keep fighting the good fight my friend. You're doing amazing and I hope you get a break soon along with the recognition you so deserve.
I love my family doctor! She’s the best! Building a relationship makes a huge difference. Thank you for all you do! (And I have let her know how much I appreciate her).
As a resident of Alberta I see the pain family doctors are going through & understand the importance of a family physician. I will definitely be voting in May
Amazing video. So good. I've always respected and admired the hell out of doctors, especially family med. Since getting into the healthcare field (fortunately, in a non-patient facing role) that appreciation and respect has doubled. (Though, to be honest, my respect for nurses ranks right up with you guys as well.)
I have been seeing the same family medicine doctor for over 20 years and he’s wonderful! He has been with me through some of the lowest points of my life and the best ones as well. He is six years younger than I am, and I always worry about him burning out. I mentioned it to him the last time I saw him. We had a change in the past two years with a big hospital corporation buying out our local hospital and the physician practices to the detriment of my community. The way they treated their physicians was so bad that most doctors have left those practices and hospital, mine included. I require specialty care, but I so appreciate how my family doctor sees the big picture, and I’ve learned to trust him when he makes decisions about the best options for my care. I don’t always agree, but I do understand, and he is willing to listen to my perspective without clock watching. The last time I saw him, he went back to a handshake, which was something he had always done before Covid. I always appreciate the fact that he knows my family and the issues that affect our family-social, emotional and physical. We’ve all allowed each other to discuss those things with him. Family doctors rock! I am glad that there are doctors like you and mine who are willing to take a job that isn’t so glamorous, kind of like my working in the education field.
Check out the sequel video, reacting to Dr G's portrayal of the family medicine residency interview: ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html
Here I discuss how the public can help support family medicine, and also feature a cameo from Jonathan!
Alright! This was very informative and entertaining! Can't wait to see part 2!
thank you for this video. It is so brave.
My Doctor has NEVER spent 60 minutes with me during an appointment....maybe 20 minutes at the most
You just made me interested in family medicine
@@erinnorwood6124 awesome! It is truly a wonderful profession, you get to see the benefit you have for people in your community everyday!
I was a "Jonathan" (RN) for 14 years for a family practice physician. I used to say " Doctor has hundreds of patients, but I have only one.... the doctor." I managed all prior authorizations, scheduled appointments of all kinds, triaged her paperwork, managed medication refills, triaged phone calls, did patient teaching, assisted with procedures, managed clinic inventory, medicines and vaccines. Those were my primary jobs.... I had plenty of others. She still spent long hours at work.
Nurses are the freaking best. You rule.
I did that for an internist for 18 yrs drew blood ran the labs ekgs vitals etc. I worked in a clinic before and after there I had several doc patients lol some nurse practitioners too
Good job! You're an absolute warrior! We all appreciate you!
Thank you!
This. This. This. As a family doctor, I feel the pain and the passion. The medical system is against us… but we as family doctors are against a different enemy: chronic disease, mental health disorders, inequality, injustice, and the list goes on. We prevent disease, we stoop down to the level of our pediatric patients, we deliver babies, we meet the dying patient, we encourage the discouraged youth, we make afterhour courtesy calls, we squeeze that extra patient in who took 3 buses to see us, we write the disability forms for the ortho surgeons who operated because if we don’t, who will??? And we are hardly recognized for this work because it is “expected” of us to do so. Our love for humanity exceeds our disdain for the system that abuses us. Our passion for health is our fuel. Thank you for this video. It touched home.
Also… I subscribed!
Thanks for your kind words Mike, and for the great work that you do! Let's keep up the good fight together and advocate for change when/where we can!
So true, the burnout is real
I hope that technology can lessen your load, because the system won’t help you sadly.
Thank you for mentioning people who have travel hardships like the bus rider. So many times and in so many situations the effort of the bus rider is dismissed. While it does remove bad things like road rage and being on time, a bus ride can take out the whole day, including riding ten miles or more one way, and ten miles back, just to get to an appointment a 20-min. car trip away. (Uber is ALWAYS more expensive than a bus.)
I'm an American Family Medicine doctor who has just had to start therapy to cope with these things. Laughing along with Dr. G is absolutely how I cope. Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for your kind comment - I'm with you in this struggle! hang in there, the world needs us. Did you enjoy how dr G had given family medicine a Jonathan in his latest video? I had worked this in to my second reaction video a couple months earlier: ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html, great to see it actually come true!
TY 4 the amazing work you do. My Dr is highly thought of by myself and hopefully many others. Absolutely amazing. So smart and caring. She's easily extending my life. I'm proud of her for talking to my cardiologist because it was needed.
I’m writing on my boyfriends account. I just want you to know that I think about doctors in this country and about how difficult it must be to not be able to have a life work balance. I see this comment is from eight months ago. I want you to know that a lot of us normal folks and patients are with you and I feel like we need to fight For your rights and better work conditions. It amazes me sometimes that even doctors that work in hospitals are required to work insanely long hours as if there are computers it’s just not a smart move to force them into these scenarios which could make them make bad medical decisions when they’re tired just because they’re human. I know you said you’re a family medicine doctor so your hours might be different. But I don’t think that you guys should work so many hours at home. I’m really sorry this is happening. We need to change it together. Patients and medical professionals need to find a way to bring this up And to change it for now I just hope and pray that you are doing well. That you are keeping strong. And I want you to know that you are loved and appreciated. I am saying this while I’ve been discriminated for medical care because of a disability. The only reason I mention this is because I want you to understand that even while doctors have done me wrong, I still can see the difficulties that all doctors go through. And I still care about that and want it to change for you.
So thanks for being there. Thanks for choosing this profession. Thank you so much for dealing with all of the difficulties that are put on your plate just to be there for your patients.
Doctors need to think of ways to verbalize the needs and get people involved in making a change and figuring out how to make that change where it matters… In laws, the change the rules… The force changes in the insurance industry… We have to stop taking away the power from doctors or bombarding them with a bunch of tape just to get some thing done.
You are not alone. I appreciate and love you I thank your soul for the work you chose to do.
🙏 gratitude🥰
I worked as a medical scribe in family medicine for two years, and I loved every minute of it even when we were SWAMPED, and the work I did allowed the providers i worked with to eat dinner with their family again. If it weren't for the pandemic and the absolutely GARBAGE wages, I'd still be doing it. But scribe companies charge healthcare workers incredible amounts of money only to paid their scribes as little as possible.
you guys deserve more pay too Devin!
Ah. The rare Family Jonathan.
Isn't there a way for scribes to connect directly with doctors without using middlemen?
I would love to work as a medical scribe! We probably need to create a union or something.
Omg a medical scribe is really a thing? How interesting! I assumed the title was actually assistant & Dr. G just used scribe because it was funnier lol Is it like a stenographer for medicine?
It sucks that family medicine is so undervalued. We need more of you doctor. Please hold on!
will do, thank you for your kind comment!
Kudos to Dr Yu for standing up for Family Medicine ! We forget how many hats they have to wear. Excellent video. Stand Tall and Be Counted. Ontario. Retired Reg N.🥰🥰
How awful that you all were given only $38!!! 😳 That's unreal! God bless you, Doc, I had no idea! Thank you so much for what you do!
Thanks for the kind comment, Deb. Not just me, but all my other colleagues as well!
I... I charge more than that for an hour of virtual dog training. And it's dog training! I mean, I've put a lot of education and learning into my job, but no where near a doctor.
@@DrYanYu yall are heroes, unsung heroes but heroes nonetheless
If I get 5 minutes with my family doc that's good...even with additional charting that's fair compensation if he's doing that for 6-10/hour
@@jeanetteraichel8299 sorry to hear you get 5 min with your family doctor. that's not the type of medicine that I or most of my colleagues practice, we give patients the time they need, regardless of how long it takes.
As a teacher I relate deeply to the "passion tax".
I hear you - teachers are so important to our health and overall well-being as a society!
@@DrYanYu Why both tend to be very anti-UCP and supportive of each other. Public facing, giving professions, painted as greedy, lazy, and overpaid by the right.
Yeah, I burned out from teaching while still in grad school because I admin and I didn't see eye-to-eye on that 😂 Like no, there is nothing about this job worth doing for free.
@@littleraeofsunshine I’m literally in grad school burning out on teaching right now 😂 good to see this comment and know it’s not just me
Me too. Was able to retire last spring.
I had a family medicine doctor, that diagnosed a number of problems that I had because she knew me! It is true!
That's the benefit of having a family doctor who knows you!
I've often said that family doctors and PCPs are the backbone of every healthcare system. Yet they are the most underpaid and overworked. Thanks for your reaction, Dr. Yu.
You're such a wonderful doctor and an actually very kind and empathetic person. Psychologist here. Thank you for what you do!!! I will hug my primary care Doc next time I see him.
Thank you for what you do as well too!
Genuinely got emotional watching this. Just thinking of what my own family doctor has done and how little exposure this issue has gotten. I hope this message reaches everyone.
Thanks for your kind comment, Johnny. Please do share this video with all those who need to see it!
I am a Family Nurse Practitioner. We experience the same. I love my parents however I am exhausted and have missed out on my son and grandkids lives. I am looking for a new career so I can pay off my student loans which I will have until I am 77 to unless I pick up the pace. Burned out at home sick with Covid today when I saw this. Thank you Dr. Your words are appreciated
Thanks for sharing, Brenda, and thanks for doing all the great work that you do. hang in there! we will persevere!
Feel free to share this video with all those who may need a voice of support and appreciation!
Same, so burned out
Good luck! If you find a good " gig " make a youtube video !!
Im a doctor in South Africa, qualified three years ago and currently doing my mandatory one year community service. Ive been placed in a small hospital where I basically work as a general physician. I have been horrified to discover that I might actually love family medicine. This video did not help😔 I just want to earn a bucketload of money working small hours treating non emergency things, like dermatology or ophthalmology, but I would hate it
glad to hear you love family medicine - believe it, the love is real!
Join us! We’re a brotherhood of people who love what we do in spite of the crap we put up with! If you have any questions, feel free to ask, though I will say my perspective is limited to the US.
Awesome in every way! Nice to see a Canadian physician finally standing up to the system! The world seems to have this illusion that all is good with our healthcare system. We need alot of reforms over here.
Well said - agree!
No country is a garden of eden. Sadly, there'll always be one lazy/bossy/generally unpleasant top brass guy that skims a little off the top for himself while pushing the unpleasant work, and, in my opinion, harder, on the poor guys below him. That's why I believe we can fight this through communication! Examine how well other countries do in a specific area and try to emulate them. I know this is easy to say and hard to do. That's why theoretical research is theoretical because it often focuses on a specific niche with experts whose entire job is to do years of research...and then to try and translate this into an easily digestible and practical model, but it can be done! Next time I go for a pre-surgical screening for my hammer toes (hopefully in another 25 yrs, but my CP's tone seems to get worse as I age), I dream of not being forced to wait for 2.5 hours only for three different departments to take 18-20 min asking me the same questions! LOL. Just talk to each other people! Hopefully, this made sense. I'm tired and can ramble on for hours about something I'm passionate about. Thank you for being the 1st Family Med Doc to react and spread the word!
That $38 is a shame. I'm in the US. Our internal med Dr had a Johnathan, & then one day he was gone. He didn't get replaced. On another note, a provider in the internal med group died from suicide last year. Some changes are desperately needed.
Agree, the $38 per visit forced many colleagues of mine to leave general practice. Feel sorry for your internal Med doctor! Hope they are looking after themselves!
I am a family doctor/ GP in France. We get a flat 25 euros for each visit, whether in the surgery or via telemedicine. Of course, med school is almost free here so we don't have loans to pay back, but even the 38 dollars would be an improvement for us here!
Truth be told, I wouldn't change my practice for anything in the world, but your words ring true this side of the pond as well !!
(Perhaps even more, the system here being the French administration, it's a beast of it's own!)
It's nice to see that GP/family doctors around the world share the same passion !
As a fellow Canadian, thank you for your efforts sir. Your work is truly appreciated even though the governments of Canada often do not show enough appreciation. Thank you..
Much appreciated! thanks for your comment!
I often wonder what life would be like, had I pursued medicine as I originally intended back in undergraduate studies two and half decades ago (I ended up doing tech/engineering). Medicine is such a high-stress and high-demand career, and it's great to have caring, passionate, and resilient doctors like yourself. Dr. G's remark about cafeteria meal tickets for payment reminds me of the meal tickets from volunteering at Foothills Hospital! Thank you Dr. Yu for being *my* family doctor! I'll see you in a year for my check-up! 😉
Definitely reminded me of meal tickets from Foothills volunteering as well, cheers Ben and thanks for the comment!
You made the right choice. My husband was in the engineering field and we encouraged both of our kids to work in the field too. They have a great work life balance and make really good money. They also have so many career options!
Rockyview and the South Health Campus are much better.
Good job dad!
Ophthalmologist here. This was the first reaction video I truly sat and watched it through. I feel the pain when you mention passion tax. I come from that part of the world where we had to work continuous 78h shifts during covid, unpaid. At one point we (ophtho, neuro and ent) were managing nearly 280 mucormycosis pts, in our wards, some of them having a exenteration POD of 200. The shortage of amphotericin was so much that we doctors had to deal with the shady grey markets ourselves to help the patients because the system at that point had just given up. We had to partially fill countless death certificates and keep them ready , even before the terminal pts was declared dead as there would be no time for documentation later. Horrible days.
wow. thank you for the perspective Dr Ganesh! take good care.
I am so grateful to my family doctor. I have had her since I was born and she has been one of the strongest advocates for my mother, sister, and myself. She was the one who spotted my mental health problems, got me in contact with the specialists I needed, did the same for my sister, and even took on my grandmother when she had come to live with us. She even continued to see me when we moved to another city. She is the most wonderful, patient doctor I have ever met. She doesn't judge and has been so supportive of me. I genuinely would not be alive today without her. Family doctors around the world deserve to be recognized for their vital work and should be fully supported by healthcare systems, not battling them. As a Canadian myself, It is so important that we demand better from our politicians and government for our healthcare and everyone who works in it. Covid has done a real number on our system and we need to put in the time, effort, resources, and MONEY to get it back to what it was before. And even then, we should be striving to further improve it. Healthcare is a right that we need to constantly fight for and stop from becoming privatized, and apart of that fight is demanding better for our family doctors.
Thanks for sharing your story Julia! And your your message of support.
Uh moving to another city doesn't mean she would stop being your family doctor unless the move was an hour+ away. Then it would be wise to get a new GP.
@@benjaminsorenson Yeah, I moved to an entirely different region. I'm now 4 hours away. That is why I need a new GP. Trust me, if I was still within an hour's drive away I wouldn't have given her up.
I worked as an MA in family practice for years and then went on to be an instructor at the community college. I Loved family practice. You get to know your patients. You often treat 2 or 3 generations of familys. It's so much more intimate. But the workload is crazy! Being able to address almost everything that comes into the office leads to crazy days. I always did my best to do as much as I could for my provider so they could just concentrate on the patients. This is what I expressed to my students. A good medical assistant anticipates the dr.s needs and addresses patient needs and questions as often as possible. We are the support mechanism for the providers and the better job we do the better the job the docs can do!
Thanks for sharing your story Sandy and for doing what you do!
Respect to everyone who practices family medicine. Over worked and under paid. The unsung heroes of medicine. Bless you guys. You deserve so much more.
Thanks for the kind comment!!
I'm American, and I know the issue is awful here too. My doctor had to put a sign in her office explaining why she might be 10 minutes late to an appointment, because people genuinely don't understand how much a family medicine doctor has to do! I have been with my Dr. for almost 10 years now, and am so grateful for everything she's gotten me through. Figuring out how to bravest feed, while dealing with post-partum depression (my OB didn't do that!). Helping me when I was vomiting and in severe pain for over a year (the vomiting was a rare side effect of a medication, and the pain was chronic appendicitis), not to mention emailing with me when I didn't have insurance, so I could get antibiotics for a UTI. Thank you to all the doctors out there helping the general population understand these issues.
I work with physicians of all specialties here in the States and without question, Family Physicians are the backbone of medicine and are woefully under appreciated.
I love my Canadian family physician. He encourages me to live better and he's very inspirational. I’ve started exercising and drinking more water because of him. He doesn’t just focus on the problem at hand. He always has an eye on strengthening my body for the future. He also calls me at home to follow up when my husband or I have a serious condition. Much love to all our fantastic family physicians
I eventually left family medicine to re-specialise in palliative medicine. It was a long but wonderful and so satisfying journey. I recall everything you described - I found family practice beautiful too, highly rewarding and meaningful but …. so demoralising… and I often felt I was forced into martyr or victim roles, or super person heroic roles. It was never skilled enough to find a balanced role in family medicine. Burn out, sickness, family breakdowns plagued my colleagues, one after another they fell down. It took superhuman resiliency, much personal maturity, and a lovingly tolerant and forgiving family, to enable someone to thrive in this role. I wish you well and much political influence. Keep making these commentaries - maybe send to your local politicians and Health Dept Managers . I found a more humane ( for me) pathway and thrived. I hope you forge yours too.
I'm Australian - I've been with my GP (General Practice) doc for 23 years, and he bought the practice from my former GP when he retired - and I'd been with _him_ for 20-odd years!
I have complex medical issues, and know for a fact that my GP has hit up a specialist socially, or at a doctor 'event' conference to get the latest information, or strategy. I know that he takes my finances into account when it comes to medication. And I know that he gave up having his own practice over 10 years ago, (working in a larger practice/group) because being his own boss was killing him.
And I ways remember to poke fun at his football team, or congratulate him when they win (even though I don't follow the sport) and have been delighted with him when his grandchildren came along.
He is priceless, and I have NEVER taken him for granted!
Protect Family Medicine/GPs, fund and PAY them properly - and you'll keep people OUT of EDs! The system is breaking, and GPs are the bedrock that ALL governments, everywhere, take for granted.
I had a family medicine (GP here) move to Canada a few years ago and now moved back because he didn't like how the Canadian healthcare system treated him. It was good to hear that GPs are treated better here than other places around the world, especially sincey husband is currently studying to be a doctor (hasn't decided yet but GP is on the list).
Australia for context
Australia seems to have an excellent primary care system. I really respect what The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners does for its members!
Recently added my doctor to the prayer list.
Because undervalued and underappreciated in any career field is absurdity!
Especially to ones that have answers every time a complaint gets told to them.
As a teacher, the "Passion Tax" rang a loud, clear gong of a bell. Please support your child's teacher and believe what they tell you, whether in a parent-teacher interview, or on a sign in a (we hope never) picket line. We love your kids too, and we want the very best for them.
Great comment. We are in this together.
I work in critical care in AB (not an MD) and I knew things were bad, but not THIS bad. OMG
I will 100% thank my family doctor next time I see her. She is amazing.
Thank YOU Dr. Yu, for all that you’ve done to support Albertans these past couple years, and really, since the Klein years. It’s all been downhill from there and we’ve never been able to recover.
Thanks for your comment... and for thanking your family doc! a lot of other commenters have asked me how people can support their family docs. I made another reaction video to Dr G to explain what else you can do: ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html
Family medicine doctors are some of the most important out there, in my medical professional opinion. All doctors are important, but you're absolutely right about family doctors being the people who tend to know their patients the best, which is why most other doctors always tell patients to follow up with their primary care physician! I was told recently by my PCP (after mentioning Dr. Glaucomflecken) that the fact that my hospital system has a monopoly on the area, more or less, makes it much easier than it usually is in places where there's lots and lots of independent doctors because medical records aren't as spread out in the area, which means less faxes asking for records. I can only imagine how it is in areas where there are lots and lots of independent doctors or different hospitals, even from a lab scientist standpoint. Getting paperwork from places that aren't in the database of my system is very frustrating, and that's just for lab tests. You all deserve a Jonathan.
Thanks for the kind and thoughtful comment! Yep, can definitely relate to faxing requests for patient records from other places- major headache!
I am a Mental Health RN. The “Passion Tax” family docs pay leads to burnout and other mental health concerns. Family docs need to be paid appropriately, we need more of them and they need better work/life balance. Family medicine is the bedrock of our health care system and without it??? Well I think the system will collapse. Could you do a video on how the public can advocate for more family physicians and better compensation?
Thanks a great suggestion! and thanks for your kind comment and for doing what you do as an RN. healthcare is a team effort!
Absolutely fantastic video. I'm a (soon to be) 4th year medical student who wants to specialize in Family Medicine. Thank you for your passion in describing why you love doing this work despite it's challenges. I'm so excited to be joining this important field!
I'm excited to have you join our speciality and to have you as a colleague, Ryan! keep up the good fight!
I am a PA-C in urgent care in an area where FP is so swamped and has lost enough personnel that we are becoming a de facto secondary location for PCP patient complaints.
Things are insane right now. We are all pitching in to try to work together but holy crap is it ever hard to stop having patients fall through the cracks.
I'm a medical transcriptionist in Canada and I know how hard doctors work. Tonight, on my shift I had to type a report from a resident who dictated the entire report while she was riding the train (LRT). I kid you not. I know it's stressful for doctors and there's not enough time in a day and you have to take work home, but please never ever dictate reports while riding on the public transit system because it is almost impossible for humans like me on the other end to type reports with complete accuracy. You know patients read those reports, right! .... btw ... transcribers hear all kinds of crazy stuff
my family doctor died.
He was 49. Now, the community has a massive amount of patients without a Doctor, most of them needing one.
The work you do is grueling, but oh, you are SO very appreciated!!! Even when people don’t show it, we need and we do appreciate you!!! 💗
Much appreciated! thanks for your comment!
My favorite Cardiologist was able to recall everything about me and the medication I took! Sadly he burned out with the medical group he worked with and left town! It's not just family medicine that's burning out!
I just read that 40% of IM residents are becoming hospitalists. General IM doctors are not going into private or outpatient primary care.
Thanks for making this. I'm a US medical student considering family medicine. Funnily enough I spent a couple gap years being a Jonathan for an ophthalmologist!
nice to hear you're considering family medicine - don't let the threat of extra paperwork get you down - it is a worthwhile profession and the benefits are well worth the tradeoffs! and it is ripe for disruption and change, great place to be for innovators!
My husband’s an internist. He works 7 days a week in his office just to do paperwork, labs, prescriptions, calls to patients, and so much more. He also never takes a vacation.
Dr. Yu, I love you family doctors and it honestly moved me to tears thinking of what you go through for your patients. Huge respect. You all deserve your own Jonathans! Thanks for the video
Thank you for the kind comment! I made a sequel video to this one, which *spoiler alert* does include family medicine getting a Jonathan - check it out and let me know what you think!
ua-cam.com/video/aByXuyc0xxo/v-deo.html
You’re such a passionate physician. I’ve watched numerous reaction videos by other doctors but your channel is one of the only I chose to subscribe to after watching… you really can tell that you care about your patients.
Thank you for being a part of our Canadian system. I had a fantastic family doctor for 30 years. He stopped practicing in 2020. Now more than 3 years later I still do not have a family doctor. I must pay to see a private one.
God bless you Dr (and all family care MDs, PAs and NPs) for your willingness, caring heart and the skill that goes along with it. Your commitment is evident in the way that you talk about your work. It's meaningful life work but it does take it's pound of flesh - you have to want to do it.
Mad respect from this RN:)
My family medicine doctor delivered my son. I am forever grateful to him. He moved out of state and I cried. I miss him so much. Family medicine physicians are the absolute best. Thank you so much for your hard work and commitment to excellent care for your patients.
Thank you for your kind comment Jennifer!
I can’t speak for Canada, but in the US, most of the extra tasks get dumped on nursing. We do daily chart prep, prior auths, refills, lab screening (only the abnormal labs go to the MD), in basket phone triage, some scheduling, patient rooming (now that there is a MA shortage), all of the teaching (medications, insulin pumps and sensors, etc, etc), medication and supply ordering, sometimes phlebotomy if there isn’t a lab in the building. We also take care of IT issues because it takes forever for someone to come and fix our technology. Oh, and now that virtual visits are common, we spend 30 minutes trying to connect a patient with their MD. Unfortunately, health care in our country is first and foremost...a business.
sorry to hear that nursing gets all the grunt work in the US. Healthcare systems should be able to automate the grunt work so that healthcare providers and focus on just looking after patients!
I know that my Family medicine doctor goes through all her labs for her patients herself; she also does prior authorizations and appeals with health insurance companies. She somehow also runs her practice, as the small business it is. It's a lot of work, and I'm not going to like getting a appointment can be a challenge but you spend my doctor for 30 years.
It's not all dumped on nursing. A good portion of that was dumped on medical assistants and unlike nurses, they are paid in peanuts, which is largely why there's such a shortage. I was studying to become an MA and in one of the highest cost areas in the country I'd be lucky to make $34,000. In most states you have to work 10 years to break $30,000 and many doctors have them do things they aren't qualified to do that nurses normally would do. It's a high stress job with many duties and expectations that is not adequately compensated.
I'm sorry it's all being dumped on nurses now. You all have so much to deal with already. The medical system needs a massive overhaul.
@@maggie6152 You are correct. In the U,S., Medical Assistants work under the MD license That means MAs can do anything their doctor delegates to them (RNs and LPNs work under their own licenses). Because RNs are paid more, MAs are preferred and are expected to take on many RN duties. I have seen MAs doing phone triage which is way outside their scope of practice.
Starting to happen in the UK. That's what they aim with the training of Advanced Practitioners (nurses, physio, OTs, Pharmacists, Podiatrists, etc.)
"It's tough cos we care."
This is truly an eye opener. Compared to the reactions of other more "prestiged" fields of medicine, this requires way more attention.
My family doctor is so incredible that when I moved 3000+ km away, I kept her as my doctor. She has literally saved my life several times, she cares so much, I never mind when she runs late because I know she was taking the same time and consideration with the previous patient as I am going to get. ❤
Great video. In addition to reacting to Dr. Glaucomflecken's humor, I also love how you gave your valuable insight in regards to valid healthcare system problems. Dr. G has a talent for highlighting these issues in an engaging manner.
I don't know why this video has gotten thrown an unfair amount of dislikes, but I'm thinking likely trolls and/or people with particular agendas. Here's an appropriate thumbs up coming your way 🙂
Thanks for the kind feedback! Glad you enjoyed the video, feel free to share with others who may also be interested!
I very much appreciate your accuracy, your humour, you advocacy, and the links on your description. Looking forward to more!
Thank you for your kind feedback Linda. Do share the video with those who may be interested in seeing it! take care!
Great video! I love your perspective. I'm an Electronics Engineer, and I love my primary care physician. We both help keep the world going 'round, I wish their jobs were as supported as mine. Doctors are a valuable lot.
Thanks for commenting, Sean! Engineers and doctors keep the world going round thats for sure!
I remember shadowing a family physician that worked part-time so she could keep her hours around “only 40-50” per week.
My husband and I have an amazing family doctor - we love her! Although I did have to teach her how to request a peer to peer with the insurance company denying me coverage for a needed medication. We have a mutually beneficial relationship since I've worked in the Healthcare space myself and am aware of how to deal with some of the bureaucracy.
I live in alberta and I have called 15 clinics to try and find a family doctor but so many folks left that every doctor is now full and not taking new patients. I will never feel okay with the alberta government continuously thanked our front line workers and then cut their funding and actively screwed them over behind the scenes. I am so appreciative of those of you who stayed and very understanding to those who left. Please know that many of us do not agree with our provinces crappy policies and I really hope you get to experience a change for the better in the future from that lense. Thank you for your incredibly hard work. ❤
I have seen quite a bit of reaction videos to Dr. Glauc because I have been a fan of his since the beginning! But I gotta say, I really liked yours the most. You actually appreciated his humour while also talking about the issues he brings up. I noticed a lot of doctors are analyzing every detail about their career field in comparison to his skits, but I liked how you seen the humour. Like you mentioned, the tone of voice, the glasses, etc.. I would really like to see another one!
Thanks for your kind comment. Yes, I love his humour! and great to know you enjoyed my reaction video. I am planning another one as we speak ;)
Man, this is the status in Canada, too? I'm seeing the challenges that doctors pursue, and even though I felt like I could be a great Family Medicine doctor, I don't feel prepared deal with the workload. I commend all the docs for their machine-like efficiency!
thanks for your kind comment!
Hi, Dr. Yu! I appreciate your video. I'm a med student and I'm planning to take family and community medicine soon 😊
wonderful to hear you're planning family medicine with a healthy dose of community medicine to boot!
Thank you for your video. I’m a GP in the UK and share all your sentiments. I love my job but It’s very sad how much “GP bashing “ we get from our hospital colleagues where we are unappreciated. Keep up the great work and passion 😊
Thanks for your comment Anna, and for the great work that you do. We get GP-bashing too. I hear you. hang in there!
Feel free to share this video with all those who may need a voice of support and appreciation!
I have five children and need switching over to a general doctor office and they are a part of the local hospitals. They work hard with nurse visits as needed after care at home. It is very important for us to stay healthier as a whole family.
Thank you so very much again for all your hard work and care. Meemaw out...
To get an idea of how bad our medical system is, my daughter is a patient advocate. She helps people who are very hurt/ill/elderly to manage the bureaucracy so they can get help. She finds them specialists, makes their appointments, organizes referrals, gathers their test results, designs sheets with medication lists and prior diagnoses and surgeries, and argues with pharmacies and insurance companies. She'll even drive people to appointments and assist with dr/patient communication. When the patient is too out of it to ask the right questions, remember what was said in the appt, or to understand medication instructions, she translates and streamlines it all so they don't miss anything important. A few doctors have gotten to know her and love it. She remembers details the patient forgets to bring up, raises concerns that the patient is too shy to talk about, and helps the doctor get through the appointment quickly. (Sad, but anything that saves the doc ten minutes is really helpful for them. They can also walk out of the room knowing that, even if the patient was confused, they won't be by the time she's done with them.)
When you're too sick to fight your way through all of the paper to get help, that's when she swings into action.
Now even patients need Johnathons.
Thank you, to all the Family Medicine Docs for all that you do!
Our pleasure!
Great video!
You can tell that because you’re a good doctor. It’s so good to see a doctor that cares so much. 😊
i just lost my family doc. she was the only one taking my problems seriously and not just telling me i'm crazy or looking for attention. i'm pretty devastated because now i'm stuck with a really bitchy psychiatrist who isn't interested in helping. family medicine is so important...
I'll never forget a conversation I had with a doctor before I had to drop out of med school (ironically, my own health got in the way 🤦). I'd spent a day shadowing an oncologist and then interviewed him about how he chose his speciality, pros and cons etc. He'd actually started out as a general primary care specialist, but it was too stressful - dealing with literal cancer was easier. Especially since he, in general med, felt a constant pressure not to miss something. Because a tendency for migraines can be something that just requires a normal prescription, or it could be a sign of a horrible tumour that needs to be referred for specialist care ASAP. A teen with abdominal pain can be anxious, or having period cramps, or maybe their appendix just burst (I actually knew a girl who didn't realize she had appendicitis - her "normal" cramps were that bad, so she just... Finished her school day. With an appendix on the verge of bursting).
It's such a huge responsibility, to be the first point of contact for so many. To know that almost none of your patients will have something disastrous going on, but also knowing that IF one of them does you have a fifteen minute consultation to realize it. In most other fields of medicine you at least usually know roughly where to start looking...
I will say I love my Family Doctor. Him and his NP are amazing taking teh time to listen not jsut to myself when i go in my for my kids. they both take time to get on thier level and speak with them. Its amazing.
I just want to say thank you to all family doctors out there!
Dear family medicine Drs,
I never had a pediatrician even when the kids were infants. It was my family medicine Dr. Grammar school through the teen years.
It was a small private practice. The office, the nurses and the doctor knew us. I can't tell you what that meant.
They are grown now and we had to change Drs because of insurance and because he joined a local hospital group. The kindness and familiar comfort was gone. I understand it but I was sad.
In any case, thank you, Family medicine. I'm grateful for your care.
Probably should send a thank you note to my former Dr too.
I love his videos, too! Just to be clear, though, none of us therapists would ever recommend someone in Family Medicine find the Jonathan within themselves. I agree that this therapist is just symbolizing the system at large. We work alongside doctors and I absolutely fill out forms and write letters that the psychiatrist then signs off on, and have spent many an evening doing notes after work. Your schedules are busier than ours (not trying to claim otherwise), but we are with you on wanting patients to have the best care possible and that requires their providers to have access to resources, self care, a friggin' minute to eat a sandwich, etc! We're with you, doc!
Great, thanks for the confirmation, Micah, I didn't think that's what a true therapist would do either ;) Thank you for doing what you do!
I'm a Retired FP. I was a volunteer overseas 2002-2017. I came back to my 50 yr class reunion and I started to hear about "burnout". The rural hospital where I used to practice in Montana no longer does deliveries. Medicare now limits admissions to four days. There is talk they will be limited to one day, Essentially becoming rural Urgent Care clinics. I joined the Doximity platform. Everyone griped about the time they spend on electronic paperwork. Primary care physicians are quitting. 40% of the general Internal Medicine residents are becoming hospitalists. People are not going to get good longitudinal going to the Urgent Care clinics (they are just money are makers for Corporations). They will not get good care bouncing from one specialist and ER visit to another. I have a lot of empathy for Dr. Yu. I'm glad I'm retired. I have no children of my own but there are four boys named "Phillip" among my friends' and patients' offspring.
My GP works so hard and is so invested in his patients that I‘m always tempted to tell him to make sure he gets enough rest and not to worry about me. He does get Christmas presents from me.
I wanted to work in rural family practice as a PA, but I missed my interview by a few points on the GRE. Then some of my credits expired, and I was already fed up with having spent my life on a healthcare degree that ended up useless, I've since embraced my misanthropy and will cheer on the fam med bros from afar.
It is time for health care system to change. Thank you for your hard work. I will advocate where I can.
Thank you, Dr. Yu.
My son, at age 5, drew a picture for his family practice office wall. It was a picture of him giving "Nurse Sally" "72" shots, in retailiation which he figured was the number of shots nurse Sally had give him so he could start kindergarten. The shots took up several inches on the paper. Sally laughed so hard when she saw it. It took four staff members to hold down our little pickle so he could immunized for kinder - he gave her quite a time. It was on her office wall for years.
I just started scribing for a family medicine physician... and boy, oh boy.. they can get pretty swamped in the clinic. Although it can get pretty hectic, it does feel nice to contribute to my physicians ability to go home and be fully present with his family.... and not have to worry about his work.
thank you for doing what you do!!
Thanks for making this! As one of 1,000,000 people without a primary care physician in BC we need to show this to all levels of government while they're waiting in the ER for 9 hours waiting to get a UTI or similar diagnosed/treated! It's not even a case of more money per patient - the entire system needs an overhaul.
Agree with you Lynn, thanks for your comment!
We’ll said and thank you for your dedication to patients in spite of all the challenges!
Thanks for the kind comment Charity!
Thank you for all you do, Dr.
So nice of you to comment - thank you!
As an RN I self diagnose and treat……I don’t go to GP very often. My last GP died two years ago unexpectedly. I was to see him the next day…the Office Manager rang me and I was on the bus home after night duty……I was bawling as I was so upset. We had become friends and when I visited him we would talk about journal articles etc. that was two yrs ago and I still have a tear.
I'm just absolutely gobsmacked at how little doctors were paid for telephone appointments. I had to have so many appointments with my family doctor over the pandemic and I'm just pissed that the government took advantage of doctors like that. Absolutely criminal.
Thank you for trying to find time to do this video! Time like you say you do not have. Your comments and Dr Glaucomflecken's really resonate!! I am a family doctor and was told I could have a scribe but would have to see more patients. I think I will try it but will not commit to anything yet. LOL
WOW! What a fantastic person and a doctor!!! This actually got me tearing up, because all the kindness and caring which was pouring through. And the situation is terrible. Family doctors needs Jonathans! It would help great deal! Thank you so much for your awesome video!!!
Thank you for your kind comment!
I love my family doctor. You guys deserve so much.
I have the utmost and highest respect for primary care. You give so much and you deserve so much more.
Thanks for your kind comment, Mary!
This was such an informative video. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for all that you do.
Glad it was informative! Cheers!
Thank you.
Great messages, thank you!!!!
Thank you for posting this video. You explained so much in detail that many of us mon med people don't know about. My primary care doc is the best, he's one of the only physicians who have taken me seriously and advocated for my health when others brushed me off. Keep fighting the good fight my friend. You're doing amazing and I hope you get a break soon along with the recognition you so deserve.
I love my family doctor! She’s the best! Building a relationship makes a huge difference. Thank you for all you do! (And I have let her know how much I appreciate her).
Thanks 😊 and good luck 🤞 the government is a tough battle for more $$$, you are appreciated!
Thank you for the insight and honesty, and not sugar coating your community struggles
thank you for your kind comment!
God bless this man! God bles family medicine doctors!
As a resident of Alberta I see the pain family doctors are going through & understand the importance of a family physician. I will definitely be voting in May
Wow, you and fellow family doctors are amazing!
This!!!! Truth all around. I felt heard this time. He spoke our reality.
Amazing video. So good.
I've always respected and admired the hell out of doctors, especially family med. Since getting into the healthcare field (fortunately, in a non-patient facing role) that appreciation and respect has doubled. (Though, to be honest, my respect for nurses ranks right up with you guys as well.)
Thanks for commenting and sharing! Agree with you for sure re: respect for nurses! cheers and take care.
I have been seeing the same family medicine doctor for over 20 years and he’s wonderful! He has been with me through some of the lowest points of my life and the best ones as well.
He is six years younger than I am, and I always worry about him burning out. I mentioned it to him the last time I saw him.
We had a change in the past two years with a big hospital corporation buying out our local hospital and the physician practices to the detriment of my community. The way they treated their physicians was so bad that most doctors have left those practices and hospital, mine included.
I require specialty care, but I so appreciate how my family doctor sees the big picture, and I’ve learned to trust him when he makes decisions about the best options for my care. I don’t always agree, but I do understand, and he is willing to listen to my perspective without clock watching. The last time I saw him, he went back to a handshake, which was something he had always done before Covid.
I always appreciate the fact that he knows my family and the issues that affect our family-social, emotional and physical. We’ve all allowed each other to discuss those things with him.
Family doctors rock! I am glad that there are doctors like you and mine who are willing to take a job that isn’t so glamorous, kind of like my working in the education field.