THE BUSINESS OF MEDICINE
Educating the Whole Physician: THE CASE FOR TEACHING THE BUSINESS OF MEDICINE By John J. LoCurto, JD and Adam V. Ratner, MD, FACR
The century-old medical education paradigm emphasizes the basic sciences and clinical training. While this traditional approach churns out physicians with deep knowledge and technical proficiency, it does not prepare them for the business of practicing medicine. By omitting the business of medicine from their curricula, medical schools squander a chance to ready their students for the commercial, regulatory and legal environments in which they will treat patients. The cost of this omission is more than just a missed opportunity. Unprepared students are prone to exploitation, frustration and burnout. While there may be no easy way to bridge the gulf between how medicine is taught and how it is practiced, integrating the business of medicine into the four-year curriculum would surely help.
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SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • March 2022
