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Does the age of your doctor matter?
When it comes to medical care, does older equal wiser — and better? Not necessarily. A new study suggests hospital patients treated by older doctors in some cases may face a higher risk for death.
At what age does the average person become a doctor?
In the US, it is typically at least 30: High school graduation at age 18. 4years of medical school means you are 26. Average of 4 years of residency training means you are at least 30.
Do patients prefer older doctors?
Older doctors were more likely to be attributed positive attributes such as being thorough, kind, and willing to listen. The mean preferred age was 42 years. Patients appeared to want a balance with the doctor being experienced and being up to date.
What should you look for when choosing a doctor?
Five tips for choosing a new primary care physician
- Determine Which Doctors Are “In-Network”
- Find a Doctor with Expertise that Meets Your Health Needs.
- Ask for Referrals.
- Think About Logistics.
- Visit the Doctor.
Do doctors get worse as they get older?
We saw no systematic relationship between physician age and 30-day mortality rates among physicians who treated more than 200 patients each year. So, among doctors who saw lots of patients, older doctors seemed to deliver the same quality of care as their younger colleagues.
How many years of experience should your doctor have?
Doctors must complete a four-year undergraduate program, along with four years in medical school and three to seven years in a residency program to learn the specialty they chose to pursue.
Are old doctors bad?
In our study, which was recently published in The BMJ, we found that U.S. Medicare patients treated by older physicians were more likely to die within 30 days of hospitalization, compared with patients treated by younger physicians — unless the older physicians were used to treating large numbers of patients each year.
Does age matter for a surgeon?
Older doctors bring years of clinical experience to the job. But there are also downsides to aging, even for physicians. The mortality rate was higher for patients whose care was overseen by older physicians — increasing from 10.8 percent for doctors under 40 years of age to 12.1 percent for doctors aged 60 or over.