Patient looking for Medical Student

August 11, 2008 9:34 AM

How do I find a medical school that is looking for patients?

As one of the chronically-underinsured in America, I need some reconstructive surgery done (skin removal, post-gastric bypass). I know that medical schools used to do all sorts of procedures for free or very cheap (since the students needed someone to practice on), and I am willing to take that risk, but how do you go about finding a program that is seeking patients?

posted by polexxia to Grab Bag (4 answers total)

Try shifting that perspective slightly from "med school looking for guinea pigs for specific programs" to "patient needs cheap healthcare, willing to help students." One way is through a university with a strong medical program or strongly affiliated with a nearby hospital or separate med school. University clinics are certainly cheaper, if you're willing to give the students some practice, which that's absolutely necessary in the medical field anyway (seems a lot of people want geniuses straight out of med school to have zero possibility of error, but I digress).

I'd check the nearest major university first, one with a medical program.
posted by Ky at 9:58 AM on August 11, 2008

I don´t think there are any medical schools that are actively seeking out patients -- it´s not like there is a shortage of them. If you want to look, medical schools generally have a relationship with a particular hospital. If a hospital has ¨university¨ in it´s name, there´s probably a good chance this is the case. They will often have some department that can look over your income and such and decide if you are worthy charity case.

State run hospitals may only give you financial assistance if you live in a certain area. You might need to move.

Also, you probably want a resident operating on you, not a medical student.
posted by yohko at 10:02 AM on August 11, 2008

Some public hospitals in New York City offer free gastric bypass, so it's possible that there are public programs in your area that will allow you to have post-bypass surgery for free as well.

Public hospitals have many programs to make health care more affordable and may even waive the cost of procedures entirely if you talk to their financial assistance department. They may also be able to set you up with free or low-cost insurance through your state's Medicaid.
posted by abirae at 10:14 AM on August 11, 2008

You might also want to look into clinical trials. Some trials may offer a discount or a payment to be used toward the surgery. clinicaltrials.gov is the place to look for that. They will sit down with you and go over all the possible risks and benefits before you agree. More than likely these trials will also be at the university medical centers, but if you "shop around" (which you probably should), it doesn't hurt to ask if there are any trials you can participate in.
posted by sarahnade at 12:14 PM on August 11, 2008