It’s All About the Money
In preparing to take, what seems like, my millionth test, I was attempting to buy the necessary study materials (preparation for The Big ones- USMLEs, Boards, etc- is an article unto itself). In this case, the exam was the Internal Medicine Boards, and the resource I was attempting to buy, was the highly touted MKSAP questions, sold by the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Essentially, they are Boards-like questions, probably taken quite easily from retired question banks, and sold to poor suckers like myself who have no choice but to buy them at ridiculous prices because they’re really the only thing out there, other than Kaplan, Princeton Review or the Route 3 Ramada Inn prep classes, run by docs who scored in the 99th percentile and can somehow guarantee results?
One would figure that the ACP would advocate FOR young docs who’ve already been thrown under the monetary bus by: medical school loans, 3 USMLE exams, the ridiculous price of state liscensure (varies- but it was >$900 in New York), and literally hundreds of textbooks, medical equipment, and study materials we’ve had to buy during our 7-10 yrs of training. You would figure that right?
But you’d be wrong. How much do they charge for MKSAP questions? A cool $469.00. Where is a poor resident supposed to come up with that sort of money when I just shelled out $395.00 for MedStudy, the other “required” material for this fiduciary nightmare of an exam? To be fair, they also offer a deal. If you join the ACP, the price goes from $469 to $349- the joining fee is only $99. So you save $21 by joining the ACP. Thanks, guys!
You know what I’d love to see? I would love someone to calculate all the expenses incurred by medical training. From the MCAT to the Fellowship Boards, including medical school tuition, all the USMLE Step exams, required study materials, etc etc? Is there any other occupation in the world where training is so expensive with so little compensation?
Don’t get me wrong. I am now, and will always be, proud to be a physician. I would not consider leaving this profession for anything and would’ve gone through worse to get where I am today. But the ever-increasing expense is worrisome. That we are forced to pay exhorbitant fees every step of the way. I don’t have a solution to this problem and unfortunately, as long as we’re willing to pay, why should the ACP, or any other organization give us a break? It’s all about the money.
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