by Nick Jacobs

Renee Cree, a writer for the Temple Times of Temple University, wrote an article entitled “School of Medicine creates new pipeline for future doctors,” in which she explores the “Silver Tsunami.” Inadvertently, this is a topic about which I have obsessed for over twenty years, and a topic that will be wedged sideways in the gullet of our culture as the nearly 80,000,000 Baby Boomers prepare for their transition.

It was the professional futurist, Ken Dychtwald who tapped me on the head with a 2x4 in the late eighties as he began to point out the nuances of aging and what they would eventually do to our country and world. He wasn’t a sooth sayer, but he did project our idiosyncrasies into the upcoming decades.

Ken, the President of an organization called “Age Wave,” pointed out the frailties of our system. “After all,” he said, “when the majority of our buildings were designed, the average age that they embraced was the 30’s because the average person was dead before their late sixties.

When Germany's Chancellor Otto von Bismarck designed a system of social security for industrial laborers late into the 19th century, he knew exactly what he wanted to achieve. Not only could he consolidate the strategic position of his party, but also he could bring those workers under the control of the State. He knew, too, that most of them would be dead before they ever reached Social Security age. We, though, are heading toward economic challenges generated by overspending in our government for decades, and are significantly surpassing the targeted pension years.

All of this was food for thought, but what else was common sense? The chairs in our waiting rooms were too deep and difficult for the elderly to get in or out of. The lighting was that horrible fluorescent style that pulsated and virtually blinded cataract challenged visitors. The steps were designed to accommodate someone without arthritis. Finally, the life style to which the typical Baby Boomer had become acclimated was more sophisticated than that of their parents.

We weren’t depression babies. We weren’t used to reusing our tea bags, and, heaven knows, we had no interest in being Plutoed*. ((Plutoed, according to BuzzWhack.com means to be unceremoniously dumped or relegated to a lower position without an adequate reason or explanation.)

So, here we are with not enough doctors, nurses or hospital beds to go around. Oh, and lest we forget, there’s not enough money either as our deficit grows into the trillions and our ability to generate our own income will soon begin to reduce exponentially.

Well, the Temple Times says that Temple University is about to introduce pathways for new doctors. The School of Medicine will be providing programs to address either those undergraduates who didn’t take the appropriate courses to get into Medical School, or will be providing programs for those individuals who did take the right courses but are not sure of their ability to pass the Medical College Admission Test, MCAT. These students are classified as either “career changers” or “career enhancers.”

Having done physician recruitment for over twenty years, there is no doubt in my mind that these steps should be taken. On the other hand, it sounds like a Band-Aid solution.” The word Tsunami is absolutely the correct word. This fix is clearly like sending a gallon of water to the hundreds of thousands of victims to share.

Our medical schools are currently unprepared to deal with the shortage of physicians, techs and nurses that we are already facing on a daily basis. Not only are the schools not responding, government seems to be doing all that they can to discourage physicians to come to or stay in Pennsylvania.

Maybe it will all go back to the wisdom of indigenous man. We will have midwives and medicine men that we can pay with chickens and crops.