County Physicians
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Your Aug. 12 article regarding the “excessive” moonlighting by county physicians was grossly incomplete. It stated that residents have to moonlight to merely augment their income to match their civilian counterparts. Not true, it is for financial survival.
Many residents are in lengthy residency programs, seven to eight years for some surgical specialties, vascular, plastics, etc., following medical school. Enormous debt arising from medical school with accrued interest during this training period can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars of compounded interest and principal. Deferments are not forever and become due and payable within two to three years after graduating from medical school and moonlighting becomes a necessity for many.
Instead of crucifying the doctors, it would be better to find alternatives for these physicians to find ways to ease their debt burdens.
CRAIG MICHAEL UHL MD
San Diego
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