Medical residents are starting to avoid states with abortion bans, data shows
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/09/1250057657/medical-residents-starting-avoid-states-abortion-bans
conservative states lag in education, healthcare, financial stability... and they choose to make it worse constantly. why would any critically-thinking human want to voluntarily move to one of these redneck hellholes?
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Critically-thinking humans move out to better states leaving those who either don't think critically or who can't afford to leave. Less critical thinkers = more Republican votes and a more solid grip on power to make things worse.
They're not out to attract critically-thinking people with these; they're trying to wear down and drive out their perceived enemies. Any deplorable who thinks "yep, this is what I want" and who decides to move there because of it is just a bonus.
Edit: Because of the way the Senate is structured, regardless of population, each state gets two. So if, hypothetically, there's a mass exodus from these shithole states and population in better states explodes, they'll still be able to hold the Senate hostage. In the House, the number of reps per state is determined by the census every 10 years giving them a big window to control both chambers of Congress with a minority of Americans on their side (House reps are elected every 2 years).
So, counter-intuitively, the best thing critically-thinking, rational people can do is move to these shithole states and vote these ghouls out. Because if enough states devolve to shithole status and drive out rational people, they'll be able to either pass federal legislation making all states shitholes or at the very least prevent any federal laws from being enacted that would stop them.
For your quality of life, healthcare, well being, education for your kids, access to healthy food, clean environment etc it is actually more rational to leave these states.
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I agree it's a big ask to stay let alone move there. But long term, the repercussions seem like they would be worse unless the people left there wise up in time.
It's a commons dilemma, by moving out you're prioritizing your short term self interest over the long term group interest. If you leave a conservative state for a liberal one for the immediate future your quality of life will be greatly improved, but if enough people do so in the long term everyone's quality of life will be worse.
As time passes, the differences between red and blue states would do nothing but continue to grow, and eventually even the dumbest of the dumb are going to start asking questions.
I am one of the people doing the counter-intuitive move. My partner and I relocated from CO to FL earlier this year. Our specific intent being to establish permanent residency in a battleground state.
I’m under no illusion that our two meager votes will turn the tide in 2024 or 2026…or 2028, but watching Colorado evolve from the state it was when we were kids to what it is now? It’s possible.
We came in with eyes wide open. We picked a specific county based on historical gerrymandering trends and political party splits. Both of us got electively sterilized before leaving CO. The state of Colorado’s contraception coverage mandate requiring private health insurance to at least match Affordable Care Act coverage helped with that. It made for a smooth process; when considering both likelihood of approval and zero out of pocket cost.
I recognize that there is a lot of privilege at work here, such as the economic stability of having remote jobs that can cross state lines, not to mention a lot of passing privilege at play. But like, that’s kind of the point, right? If not us, who?
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I recognize that there is a lot of privilege at work here, such as the economic stability of having remote jobs that can cross state lines, not to mention a lot of passing privilege at play. But like, that’s kind of the point, right? If not us, who?
Exactly!! You recognize your privileges and are using them for good. That's awesome!
I live in a shithole, non-battleground, mostly politically-irrelevant state (WV: not as shithole as some, but we're on our way). While I could move elsewhere, I decided a few years ago that I might as well commit myself to the long haul and stay to try to slow the decline if making things better is off the table (both are uphill climbs, lol, but the latter is definitely steeper).
I wish you all the luck. Hopefully you're able to set a good example others will see and follow.
We came in with eyes wide open. We picked a specific county based on historical gerrymandering trends and political party splits.
Oh uh, yeah, sure.... that's also why I'm living in overlapping House and Senate districts of the worst Representatives and Senate representation north of the Mason Dixon line. My votes have done nothing to affect change against the tide of the gerrymandering.
Someday I hope both of our efforts bear fruit.
I had someone on my team accept a relocation package from my company to move from DC to Texas, right around the abortion ban.
She's a smart woman. And black.
I just couldn't believe she would voluntarily make that move.
You don't know people's stories, maybe she yeeted her uterus awhile back. And has an auntie in Texas.
Still, I wouldn't do it, and those things are true of me.
Turns out doctors prefer helping people, providing needed medical care, and being adaquately trained. They don't like being thrown in jail. And they want access to obstetrics procedures like abortions for themselves or their loved ones when needed.
Also residents want the opportunity to learn and practice essential medical procedures.
Good. I know the majority of their poor and minority community population isn't complicit in the abortion ban but the only way the south will change is when they lose all their young, minority, women, and educated populations.
There exists a concept called "moral injury", where you know what the right thing to do is, but are prevented from doing it by circumstances outside your control. Those who suffer moral injury are at high risk of developing stress injuries from them and there is potential for PTSD as a result of a bad enough moral injury, or cumulative moral injuries.
For the sake of their careers, wellbeing and longevity I believe these residents are making the right decisions. I can't imagine how hard it would be having to turn someone away who required medical attention because the alternative is be criminally charged. You want to talk about moral injuries? There they are.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Isabella Rosario Blum was wrapping up medical school and considering residency programs to become a family practice physician when she got some frank advice: If she wanted to be trained to provide abortions, she shouldn't stay in Arizona.
But that uncertainty has also bled into the world of medical education, forcing some new doctors to factor state abortion laws into their decisions about where to begin their careers.
Notably, the AAMC's findings illuminate the broader problems that abortion bans can create for a state's medical community, particularly in an era of provider shortages: The organization tracked a larger decrease in interest in residencies in states with abortion restrictions not only among those in specialties most likely to treat pregnant patients, like OB-GYNs and emergency room doctors, but also among aspiring doctors in other specialties.
"People don't want to go to a place where evidence-based practice and human rights in general are curtailed," said Beverly Gray, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine.
Gray said she worries that even though Duke is a highly sought training destination for medical residents, the abortion ban "impacts whether we have the best and brightest coming to North Carolina."
After attending medical school in Tennessee, which has adopted one of the most sweeping abortion bans in the U.S., Hannah Light-Olson will start her OB-GYN residency at the University of California San Francisco this summer.
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