Although the recently passed health care bill has been causing a stir in Washington politics, for many Creighton students considering a career in the health field, the bill hasn’t made much of a difference.

Arts & Sciences junior Abby McKeown is still planning on being a physical therapist.

“I’m not super happy about the bill, but if you’re doing PT for the right reasons, you’re not worried about money, so it shouldn’t matter,” McKeown said.

McKeown said she chose Creighton because she wanted to be a physical therapist and has faith that the program and a good education will “pay for itself.”

Ryan Pilkington, Arts & Sciences sophomore, agreed that money didn’t factor into his decision.

“Money is not the issue,” Pilkington said. “I want to be a doctor.”

Dr. James Manion, chair of the anesthesiology department at Creighton University Medical Center, expressed some concerns about the bill, especially about money. One of his concerns is that the bill will decrease the amount of money doctors make.

“One concern for young doctors just getting out of medical school is that they’re significantly in debt, and with lower salaries, they’ll have to work a long time to get out of debt,” Manion said.

Business freshman Austin Meier is considering changing his major because of the recently passed health care bill.

Meier is currently double-majoring in business administration and health care administration.

“The uncertainty of the future of the health care industry and the potential instability that might ensue makes the industry not as attractive to enter as a career professional,” Meier said.

Meier is worried about how the bill will affect pre-health students in the future.

“My assumption is that it will likely increase hesitancy in students to choose a pre-health major, as it is projected that doctors’ salaries will drop, even if not that significantly,” he said.

The bill will also affect doctors who are practicing now. Manion realizes the changes the bill is going to bring to his career but is trying to look on the bright side.

“I’m not concerned in the least,” he said. “I probably won’t make as much money, but that will be OK. The great majority of physicians know there has to be health care reform.”

Pilkington said making less money after graduation, and thus having a harder time paying off loans, isn’t something that worries him.

“I was always expecting to be in debt,” Pilkington said.

Manion said a benefit of the health care reform for CUMC and other hospitals like it is the impact it will have on their service to the disadvantaged.

“Creighton serves an underprivileged population and doesn’t turn patients away. A significant number of patients have no insurance at all, so Creighton gets no payments for the services,” Manion said. “With the passage of the health care bill, everybody will have insurance of some kind, so Creighton won’t have to do so many ‘free’ cases anymore.”

Dr. Richard O’Brien, a member of the Center for Health Policy & Ethics, believes the bill will bring positive changes to the United States as well as to Creighton.

“It is a historic step toward providing all Americans with health care, a goal that has been frustrated for nearly a century in spite of a large majority of Americans believing that the nation should provide universal access to needed health care,” O’Brien said. “Our current system is unjust and economically unsustainable. It has to be changed.”

From an ethical standpoint, O’Brien said the bill is something that fits with the mission of Creighton.

“It’s all about justice, about ensuring that health care providers can meet their moral obligations to serve those in need,” he said. “We are a university rooted in justice and committed to the ‘preferential option for the poor.’ That is a critical part of our mission.”

Meier said all Americans should be insured, but worries the current plan will not necessarily improve conditions.

“Though I think covering the uninsured Americans and removing pre-existing condition limitations is great, it’s unsustainable under the current provisions,” he said.

Manion said pre-health students should major in something they enjoy, regardless of the pay.

“Pursue your dream. I’ve been a doctor for 44 years, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. I’m having a wonderful, fulfilling professional career,” Manion said. “A person should become a doctor because he or she wants to help sick people. If people want to make a lot of money, they should go into other fields.”

“I had a sports injury in high school and I got close to my physical therapist,” McKeown said. “I liked the patient interaction, and I felt like the line of work fit my personality the best.”

Arts & Sciences sophomore Lauren Calderon feels the same way.

“I always wanted to be a doctor,” she said. “My mom’s a nurse, so I’ve grown up around it.”

Although McKeown did watch debates on the bill, Calderon said she didn’t really pay much attention to the bill debate.

According to a White House statement on health care, the workforce will grow because of the health care bill, not decrease.

“By funding scholarships and loan repayment programs, the number of primary care physicians, nurses, physician assistants, mental health providers and dentists will increase in the areas of the country that need them the most,” the statement said.