Program briefs med students in financial realities

In Miami, medical students all get a briefing in the sometimes perplexing financial realities of their chosen profession--and some of them are a bit shocked by what they hear. For about 10 years, students at the University of Miami med school have spent a day at the headquarters of health insurer AvMed getting briefed on the latest financial issues facing practicing physicians. One-fourth of the med school's third-year class visits with health plan executives every three months. This year, AvMed's corporate medical director briefed students on challenging topics like the growth in consumer-driven healthcare, the growing emergence of home care and disease management programs, the need to stay abreast of health plan programs and the emergence of pay-for-performance schemes. The students may not have been thrilled by what they learned, but like it or not, they found out some things they need to know.

To get more information on the program:
- read this piece from The Miami Herald