Good morning. Welcome back to Postcall - the newsletter that always has your back (like a good spinal board).

And like a spinal board, Postcall is better when multiple people are helping. So forward us to your next Whatsapp group!

Let’s get into the good stuff:

• You can now subscribe to your GP? 💳️ 

• Show me the money earnings (reports) 💰️ 

• 🖥️ Googlers’ compensation data gets leaked

• 🏀 Baller of the Month

• Quick bites 🍉

• 😆 Memes of the Day

Like! Comment! Subscribe! (to your GP)

For a limited time only, you can pay the low price of $2,200 per year for a primary care membership! If you sign up now, we’ll also throw in this tote bag for FREE*:

*shipping and handling not included.

What happened: At Harrison Healthcare, which has clinics in Calgary and Vancouver, the yearly cost of primary care membership can range from

• $4,800 for a two-parent family

• $2,400 for one adult and their dependent children

• $2,200 for an individual adult

The perks of membership include reduced wait-times and extended appointments! On top of that, if you need a scan, the clinic has partnered with a third-party provider of private MRIs and CTs to provide faster access. Def worth the extra couple grand.

Fortunately, provincial governments are keen to squash this because it results in massive deductibles. When patients are charged for medically necessary services, the federal government claws back its money - in March 2023, BC saw $17,165,309 deducted. Not to mention, it goes against pretty much everything the Canada Health Act is about.

Bottom line: Pls don’t charge your patients membership fees - you’re not an Equinox.

Postcall’s take: And while the members-only vibes are off, this is yet another sign of mounting pressures for GPs.

More details at CBC

Show me the money earnings (reports) 💰️ 

We’re smack in the middle of earnings season: some of the world's largest public companies reported their second-quarter performances, offering a snapshot of the economic forces at play and telling us whether or not we need to pull an extra call shift or five.

Here are the three interesting takeaways from these reports:

1. Consumer spending has slightly decreased, indicating a potential shift in buying behavior amid the challenges of high interest rates and inflation. Case in point: Visa reported a 1% slowdown in payments volume in Q2 compared to Q1, indicating that people are using their credit cards less frequently.

2. Companies have been able to raise prices successfully, offsetting the impact of reduced consumer purchases. For instance, Coca-Cola raised prices by 10% in Q2, leading to a 6% YoY increase in revenue despite flat sales volumes. PepsiCo also raised prices, resulting in a 10% YoY revenue rise and nearly doubling profits. However, the sustainability of this strategy could be at risk once inflation decreases.

3. The resurgence in ad spending suggests that businesses are confident about the future economic outlook, and this optimism is reflected in the positive forecasts issued by many companies. Google saw a 3% YoY rise in ad revenue after experiencing declines in the previous two quarters. Meta (fka. Facebook) witnessed even stronger ad revenue growth at 12% YoY. This increase in ad spending suggests that business leaders are optimistic about the near future, as companies usually cut ad budgets during uncertain times.

   1. The kicker is the performance of AI in tech earnings has been less influential than expected, demonstrating that traditional core businesses remain essential factors in determining a company's success.

Postcall’s take: This is not the recession we were promised by all the experts 6 months ago. So we’re not holding our breath for a stock market firesale just yet. What economic wisdom (and the past 50 years of investing returns) tells us holds especially true: time in the market > timing the market. So invest the same amount into your market ETF, and call it day.

Or you could just lock in that trade and pray:

Compensation data at Google leaked… and no one is surprised 😆 

Google’s compensation data leaked, and these are some eye-popping numbers. Google employees are some of the highest earners in the tech industry, with most receiving a package of base salary, bonus compensation, and an equity package. Here’s a graph of the top base salaries in each job role area:

Postcall’s take: Can we still switch into ophthalmology?

Details at Insider

Baller of the Month 🏀 

Every month we’re going to showcase a medical professional that’s grabbing life and dunking it like they’re Vince Carter at the 2000 dunk contest. We show them off, whether their greatness is money related, achievement related, or something else.

This month’s Baller: Dr. David Kim

Why is he a Baller?

David always wanted to get involved in space, but he didn’t find any existing program or fellowship in Canada. So he did what any baller would do: he created his own path to pursue his passion. While other residents were trying to convince nurses they can deliver medical care, David convinced his program director, UBC, and the European Space Agency (ESA) to let him pursue a diploma in aviation medicine, a MSc in Aerospace Medicine from King’s College London, and the UK Faculty of Occupational Medicine.

By relentlessly asking “when people say no, what can I do to make it a yes?”, pulling extra shifts and cutting out unnecessary things, he managed to pursue this lifelong passion, while finishing residency on time. ⌛️ 

Highlights from our interview:

• “I was able to pursue a fellowship in Aerospace Medicine and got to spend some time with the Royal Air Force in the UK learning about military aviation medicine and commercial aviation medicine. So, through this experience I obtained my Diploma in Aviation Medicine through the UK Faculty of Occupational Medicine which means I can pursue various career paths in this field.”

• We asked David what his reflection of this experience was. His response: “It was literally the best decision of my life, because 1) it was professionally something I wanted to do and 2) it was a really rare program, and only military people do it. You have to be sponsored by the military, and I wasn’t”

David Kim is now one of the few doctors in the world who works as a medical consultant for the ESA and the Artemis space program (this is the ambitious project that aims to send humans back to the moon and beyond), in addition to his regular emergency shifts. he provides medical advice on how to ensure the astronauts survive and thrive in the harsh space environment. He works with engineers, test crew, physiologists, biomedical engineers, and international partners on designing and implementing various upcoming deep space flight missions and campaigns, to ensure the safety and health of all crew during spaceflight missions.

Doing cleft palate surgeries abroad? Baller. They started a sick side hustle? Baller. If you know of any ballers in your life you want to nominate, let us know at [email protected].

🍔 Quick Bites

1: It’s official: July was Earth’s hottest month on record. “The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever before. Climate action is not a luxury but a must.”

2: The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) in BC is getting sued over hiring a fake nurse who cared for thousands of patients. The serial imposter is currently serving a seven-year sentence in Ontario and faces additional charges in BC. Is this how Catch-Me-If-You-Can should’ve ended?

3: An olive branch? Apple gave its blessing to Twitter’s rebrand to X despite not normally allowing developers to have single-letter apps. Details at Techcrunch.

4: Man who spent $14K to transform himself into collie steps out for first-ever walk in public. He says the unusual garment has helped actualize his dream of “becoming an animal.” Of course, there’s a video.

5: Trader Joe's recalls cookies with rocks. Almond Windmill and Dark Chocolate blocks. Check cabinets, don't consume, avoid shocks. Full refund offered for the Trader Joe-loving flocks.

6: Junior doctors (aka. residents) in the UK announce another strike. They’re asking for a 35% pay bump to get pay back to 2008 levels once inflation is taken into account, but the government is only offering them 6%. And it hurts more since they don’t get the big bump once they become staff (the average staff salary is ~$135K USD).

(Targeted) Memes of the Day 😜 

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