Better with noctors than nothing at all. I know that's a false dichotomy in the long run, but for the present it isn't, given the regulatory environment. PA/NP is basically backup plan for a lot of people that don't get into med school or don't anticipate they could.

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nobodyandproud a day ago | parent [-]

I’d say it’s worse.

Incompetent treatment is worse than not being treated at all.

It’s not to say that noctors can’t be competent within a narrow domain; it’s that they’re being taught to increase their scope of treatment beyond their training.

If it becomes common, then it’d be safer and more cost-effective to pay out of pocket and get treatment in another Westernized nation.

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mothballed a day ago | parent [-]

I basically treat NP/PAs and doctors as a pulse with a DEA license attached. Once you realize you basically need to figure it out for yourself, for much of anything but surgery and meds, you'll realize you are better off with them vs having police put you in a tiny cage for ordering drugs without a prescription (in my state I can self order imagery and labs, so don't need docs for that). I consider their opinion totally disposable but they offer some stuff the government will imprison me for if I don't get the magic signature for.

Just treat them as totally incompetent and nudge them where they need to go. No need to assume or rely on competence that may not exist.

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nobodyandproud a day ago | parent [-]

How do you “nudge”, in the middle of a surgery?

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mothballed a day ago | parent [-]

>for much of anything but surgery and meds,

	▲	nobodyandproud 9 hours ago \| parent [-]
		So you’re excluding diagnosis w/ treatment: That is, where the greatest risks are and where the MDs are necessary. It seems like a useless metric.