Are You Underinsured?

There is much attention (well, of the attention paid to health care, anyway) on the uninsured in America.  There are currently about 47 million uninsured Americans, and rising.  But what about the underinsured?  According to this article there are about 25 million underinsured Americans, adding up to a total of 72 million inadequately covered Americans.  That's staggering!  These are people who have insurance, but not enough.  They pay for health insurance, but when it comes time for the insurance company to cover their expenses, they get shafted.  I consider myself in this group.  How do you measure up?

Learning

I'm back to learning things, and not just stuff out of books.  The month of June we have workshops and lectures to prepare us for being in the hospital starting July.  Last week, we learned how to do pelvic, rectal, and testicular exams on real people.  I always wonder about the people who voluntarily subject themselves to ubernovice examiners.  I've heard they get paid $100/hr for an afternoon of pelvic exams, or $25 per poke for rectals.  I have to say, I personally price my orifices much higher than that!

Thoughts on DC

• The White House was a lot less impressive than I thought it would be.  Granted, I know there is a LOT more than meets the eye, but all I saw were two bored-looking cops keeping an eye on two bored-looking protester types with a few bored-looking tourists idly snapping pictures.  I wouldn't have minded seeing a bunch of nattily dressed Marines doing tricks with their rifles.  I mean, come on!  I think I should get something for all those federal taxes I pay.  Is a little entertainment when I visit the capitol too much to ask???
  
• Allergens in NY/DC are pretty bad.
  
• When the vice chair of the department you want to eventually succeed in tells you that partying with them is going to have a much bigger impact on your career than any presentation you could make the following day, you do as he says.
• The best way to reduce performance anxiety when presenting research is to party way into the wee hours the night before so you are too exhausted to be nervous.
• I got a lecture on Eritrea from a taxi driver at 3am, who declined payment because I seemed so interested in his country.  
  
• I really should travel to Africa someday.
  
• The Metro in DC is pretty nice.  Not as expansive as NY's Subway, but more similar to BART, except they have plastic seats.  I like the design of the stations.
  
• Sometimes you can get really good hotel deals by staying on top of "travel deal" e-newsletters.  I got a fantastic hotel for a fantastic deal, which was my treat to myself for giving this presentation.
  
• I felt a little ill on the day I was going to spend at the Smithsonian Museums, but after a couple of hours there I was so engrossed that I could have spent many more days there.  And that was just one museum!