11/14   What's the difference between a nurse practitioner (NP) and a
        doctor (MD)?  I'm covered by Kaiser, and when I call to make an
        appointment with a doctor, they gave me a nurse practitioner instead.
        \_ it sounds like your insureance plan is NP complete.
        \_ An NP is a nurse (BSN) with a two year Master's. An MD is a BA
           with a four year professional degree (MD). The MD then gets at
           least three years of professional apprenticeship (residency).
           An MD can do just about anything. An NP is pretty limited in
           what s/he can do, usually to prescribing the 100 most common
           drugs and simple procedures. If you just have a chest cold or
           need the pill, see an NP. If you have something serious, see
           an MD, if you can.
           \_ I see.  Is that how Kaiser keeps it costs down, by providing NP's
              instead of MD's for non-serious problems?  Last time I had
              sustained coughing I ended up seeing an NP.  This time I want to
              make an appt for physical and they also give me an NP.
              \_ Yeah, this is how they keep costs down. Of course, school
                 isn't everything, so the quality of care you recieve
                 depends on the individuals competence and experience
                 more than on what letters they put after their name.
                 \_ I've found that most NPs are just as competent as doctors
                    at diagnosing common ailments and have been "nicer"
                    than most doctors at explaining medical situations.
                    That said, I'm going to make an unsolicited comment about
                    Kaiser.  Kaiser is both an HMO as well as an insurance
                    provider, which is quite a big conflict of interest.
                    Doctors there are restricted in the tests they can
                    administer and the procedures they recommend -- these
                    restrictions are based on cost (Kaiser wants to keep
                    costs down as a provider).  These are the same doctors
                    that elsewhere, would be allowed to give you more expensive
                    procedures for the sake of your health.  I have a relative
                    who's been a doctor at Kaiser -- he quit because he wasn't
                    allowed to keep the health of his patients the first
                    priority.  Switch off Kaiser, go PPO.
           \_ Say someone catches anthrax and goes to Kaiser thinking that it's
              a flu.  Can an NP diagnose that as accruately as an MD can?
        \_ Biggest difference: NP can be a hot babe, while MD usually
           isn't. --dim
           \_ my brother's MD girlfriend is pretty hot.  in fact, there were
              a few other babes in his med school class.
              \_ pics?
           \_ I know a hot MD babe too.  Too bad my friend's site (where her pic
              is) is down.
              \_ Key word: usually. --dim
                 \_ i wonder if it doesn't break down based on specialty.
                    from an informal suvey at a med school graduation, it
                    seems that (pediatricians & psychiatrists) > internal
                    medicine > surgery.  your average sodan probably doesn't
                    see many pediatricians or shrinks.  well, not many
                    pediatricians anyway.
                    \_ My dermatologist was attractive. In some of the
                       specialties it's hard to find a female doctor
                       period. --dim
                    \_ I still have wet dreams about my proctologist.
              \_ Can you just post the URL here please so that we can check it
                 out when it's up later?
                 \_ There are quite a few ladies on his site.  I don't know
                    the URL to the one who is an MD, or more specifically,
                    an intern at Stanford's medical center, or whatever that
                    is called.
                    \_ Just the URL to that site, please.
                        \_ Stop drooling.  Go download some net porn.
                           \_ But porn sites only show porn stars.  Hot
                              doctors (real ones) are more exotic.
           \_ In that case, I'm looking forward to my physical.
              \_ "Are you sure it's not a groin pull? Can you check again?"