The AMA controls the state funding for universities? That is interesting.

Lots of specialties are high paying, but as we are talking about this specific bill, which is an attempt to bring insurance to more people it would make sense to look at those specific specialties that will see these new patients (the primary care docs).

Pediatricians: they are on the low end of the scale. More specialized pediatricians like developmental pediatricians cannot even practice because the medicaid billing rates are so low they do not even cover office costs. So most dev. peds. have to do general peds.

Child and adolescent psychiatrists: in canada they make 3 times what they do in the US

psychiatrists: make about twice in canada.

GP: in canada they make 2-3 times what they make in the US.

If the mighty AMA is keeping salaries artificially high, then why are the salaries so low compared to other countries?

the june 2005 supreme court of canada opinion on this very topic disagrees with you. the court found that the wait times were in fact excessive and violated the charter.

most provinces explicitly restrict the number of procedures that will be done each year to contain costs. things like cataract clinics are forced to operate at 50% capacity (which means that half the year they are open but not to canadians, but americans that come up for cheaper surgeries).

that being said.. meh, the health care system sucks in the US and canada. such is life.