- College of Medicine Students
From advancing technology to healthcare reform, the role of a 21st century physician is changing rapidly, as a medical entrepreneur told UCF College of Medicine students May 10.
Paul Machado, founder/CEO of Health Innovation Partners and an expert on the business side of medicine, told students. “You’re actually going to be asked to manage the health system we’ve built in a proactive manner. That’s an incredibly different skill set than what has been required in the past.”
While doctors dedicate most of their focus to medicine and patient care, there is no mistaking that the medical field is also a business, Machado said. He emphasized that smart doctors are constantly keeping up with the changing industry, and how it affects their patients—and their bottom line. Healthcare reform legislation is certain to change how some patients are insured, and that will affect health providers. Machado also talked about technology innovations on the horizon that will allow for constant patient monitoring from home, which could make some face-to-face doctor visits obsolete.
First-year medical student and class vice-president Brian Mayrsohn helped organize the event with the newly-founded Healthcare Innovation club, in hopes of providing classmates with issues related to the business world. Mayrsohn said. “As students we learn the science of medicine,” he said, “but there are other factors that play into the way we coordinate care.”
With an increased awareness of the changing medical field, Brian hopes that he and his fellow students will be able to practice medicine and make smart decisions for themselves and their patients. “This talk really provides an initial foundation, so we can use this knowledge and move with it in the future.”