<p>I've been rethinking my plan due to salary problems. I don't think doctors are underpaid in any way, but I do think malpractice insurance is too high. I don't like the idea of a huge part of my paychecks going towards malpractice insurance...</p>
<p>I understand that I shouldn't become a doctor for the money, which I'm not. I'm truly interested in it and want to help others... It's just that I don't like the idea of possibly making a lot of money and having so much of it going towards insurance.</p>
<p>I guess it'll look like I'm wanting to become a doctor for bad reasons, no matter what I say. Does anyone else feel like this though?</p>
<p>And if malpractice gets fixed one day when you’re 30 (when you would have been finishing up your residency)? What are you going to do then?</p>
<p>Look, medical malpractice will suck, but that’s life. Nothing is perfect. I don’t like the fact that a lot of my income one day will be going to pay for a hell of a lot of wasteful and unnecessary spending by my local and federal governments, but I’m not going to try to earn less money because of that.</p>
<p>Yeah I know what you mean. After thinking about it last night I decided that I should continue with my plan. It’s better to do something I love for less money than doing something I hate for more.</p>
<p>Also aren’t physicians who work in hospital/academic settings immune from malpractice costs because the institution provides the insurance and/or coverage? They of course make less money than private practice docs though…</p>
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<p>and, in private practice, insurance of any kind is part of the cost of doing business and so is never really a part of your “income”.</p>
<p>Wow, that’s a huge relief. I’ve always kind of wondered if hospitals covered the insurance, but I’ve never received any answers so. I’m surprised that the doctors in private practice don’t have the insurance come out of their income. Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>The reason private practice docs don’t have it come out of their paycheck is that there isn’t an organization above them to take it out for them and pay for the insurance with it as there is in academia. Therefore, as plumazul said, it’s part of the cost of business just like ordering supplies or renting the office space or paying the receptionist.</p>